Lone Star Outdoor News 01102025 by Lone Star Outdoor News

Drum time beginning at piers

Timely rains blow up winter food plot

Sometimes everything falls into place and you get the perfect food plot, even in the Texas Panhandle. Pecos Hagler manages ranches near the Donley/Gray County line, and the Dalkon forage radishes in his food plot brought in this buck to munch on the fruit (pod) and leaves. “We had two great rains, 2.85 inches and 4.25 inches, in November and it really took off,” Hagler said. Areas of Donley County became known after the wildfires that struck the Panhandle region in February 2024, although this ranch was just south of the burned areas. Besieged by drought, good rains have helped the wildlife rebound, and even food plots take off. “This buck really put on a show that evening.” Hagler said the deer and quail are doing well this year. “It’s the most quail I’ve seen in 30 years,” he said. “It’s worth a lot to get the rain.”

Photo

by Pecos Hagler.

By Cory Byrnes For Lone Star outdoor newS

Big black and red drum are the focus for most anglers fishing from coastal piers, and the fishermen don’t mind the cool fronts, as long as they don’t linger too long.

At Galveston’s 61st Street Fishing Pier, some of the best fishing has come at night.

“The last couple of days have been a little slow,” Josa Galdan said. “But the last several weeks have been good overall.”

Anglers have been having most of their luck on dead finger mullet using a Texas double drop, off the bottom for red and black drum.

“Fishing has been just as good at night as during the day,” Galdan said. “If they’re

Not the greatest duck season

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

With the second split of the regular duck season winding down, many hunters are saying this season has been one of the toughest they have experienced. Typical hotspots for ducks along many coastal rice prairies have held inconsistent numbers of birds at best. The most successful hunts

seem to be taking place over ponds and tanks on private properties in the central and southwestern portion of the state, as well as along middle and lower coastal bays. Gun dog trainer and guide Drew Horne of HD Gundogs has been pursuing ducks over ponds in the Brenham and College Station areas. He said he has had to bounce around on different properties and scout more this season than he ever

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Anglers have been landing good-sized redfish and black drum from the 61st Street Fishing Pier, in Galveston. Photo from 61st Street Fishing Pier.

Duck hunters have spent more time scanning the skies, as many report the season has been a difficult one. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

FROM WORK TO PLAY

WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.

By Mike Bodenchuk For Lone Star outdoor newS

HUNTING

Gobblers’ reactions to hunters, predators

predators and hunters in both movements and in habitat selection.

Two recent southeastern turkey studies have shown the impacts of hunters and predators on wild turkey gobblers. Papers recently presented at the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies meeting in Augusta, Georgia detailed the studies examining how turkeys react to

In separate studies, researchers from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia looked at gobbler survival, movements and habitat use in hunted and unhunted populations of eastern turkeys.

In both populations, predation was responsible for about 12 percent of the total

gobbler population. Of that, ground predators (mostly bobcats and coyotes) were responsible for 70 percent of the predation but, interestingly, 30 percent of the predation occurred at night.

The researchers attributed the nocturnal predation to great horned owls. In the hunted population, hunting accounted for 30 percent of the total number of gobblers, and hunting mortality was additive to

Hand-me-down boat helps harvest buck

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

After a 3-year quest that included countless hours and dozens of failed attempts, K.C. Smith accomplished his goal of using an aluminum boat that was passed down to him from his granddad, “Pop,” to harvest a buck with his bow via water access on public land.

The buck, a 7-pointer, was far from his largest, but the deer holds a trophy status in his heart. The harvest is the newest addition to a long list of memories shared with Pop and friends in the vessel.

Smith, who hosts “The Element” podcast and YouTube channel, arrowed the buck on public land in West Texas. He felt that accessing the terrain from a public reservoir

using his boat would give him an advantage, as it would allow him to slip undetected into an area he knew was holding deer.

“When it is possible, using water access to hunt public land can give you an advantage because it allows you to approach the area that you are hunting in a less intrusive manner,” Smith explained. “It’s taking the road less traveled.

Not as many hunters use this method because it’s more difficult. It requires you to go through extra steps, like launching a boat and navigating a reservoir, rather than just parking your truck or vehicle and hiking or biking in.”

Using the water access also allowed Smith to approach the area from a different direction, one he hoped the deer weren’t used to ex-

periencing.

“I had done some glassing from the boat and found some areas that deer were moving through,” Smith said. “One afternoon, I decided to go in and scout one of those areas on foot. After beaching the boat, I hiked a loop around the area, but didn’t really find as much deer sign as I was hoping for.” Smith decided to leave the area

Cain named Wildlife Division director

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Alan Cain has been selected as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Wildlife Division director.

Cain began his more than 24-year career with TPWD in 2000 and has progressively held roles of greater complexity and responsibility, including wildlife biologist and district leader in South Texas, white-tailed deer program leader and most recently the big game program director.

“Growing up I hunted dove, whitetailed deer, and trapped quite a bit during junior high and high school,” Cain said. “My dad had a lease in Stephens County west of Breckenridge. I had always dreamed of hunting mule deer, elk, and Africa when I was young. Over the years I was able to follow those dreams. My dad and I just got back from

Arizona where he harvested a decent bull. It took him 19 years to draw the tag and my son and I were able to share that experience with him — pretty special.”

“Alan has a proven track record as a leader who can strengthen relationships and build trust with private landowners and stakeholders, enabling our agency to manage public resources in a predominantly private lands state. This will be accomplished on a strong foundation of applied science and with the collaboration of public, nonprofit, and private partners,” TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz said.

During Cain’s tenure with TPWD’s Wildlife division, he has successfully led or been a critical team member in designing and implementing impactful programmatic and regulatory changes, including enhancements of the Managed Lands Deer Program, development

of the Land Management Assistance application to administer the MLDP, mandatory harvest reporting and digital tagging applications, expansion of antlerless deer hunting opportunities, and working on chronic wasting disease policy, management and regulations.

Cain is a certified wildlife biologist and has been a member of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society since 1991, serving as its president in 2011. He is a current member and past chairman of the Advisory Board for Wildlife Management Academic Program at Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde, previously served on the Texas Big Game Awards Scoring Committee and Measurer, Boone & Crockett official measurer, TPWD Mentor Program, and is a graduate of TPWD’s former Natural Leaders Program.

Once they leave the roost, wild turkeys are subject to predation and hunting activity. According to studies, the toms gobble less and change their movement when faced with hunting pressure. Photo by TPWD.

K C Smith used a boat passed down to him by his granddad to access public land via a public reservoir, and successfully harvested a buck with his bow. Photo by Casey Knight.

Alan Cain was named TPWD’s new Wildlife Division director. Photo from Alan Cain.

Holiday cheer and deer

By Meghan Olivia Jackson

For Lone Star outdoor newS

What was supposed to be a “Wild Game Night” at the Dallas Beretta Gallery turned into something even more special for Michael Vitullo.

Vitullo works at the Be retta Gallery and was part of some of the events hosted by the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation.

“I worked the Wild Game Night and a white-tailed deer hunt was purchased during the auction,” Vitullo said. “The gentlemen that pur chased it decided he wanted to re-donate it back.”

Vitullo said he had actually bid on that item and the man, Don Weempe, said some words that would change his life.

“He said if I wanted to go, I was more than welcome to, and the foundation recognized that and granted his wish,” he said.

As an avid waterfowl hunter and even with hunting experiences worldwide, this would be the first buck Vitullo would harvest. The hunt took place at the 3 Amigos Ranch, in Graham.

“It was a one-day hunt and I did not get anything,” Vitullo said, “Fortunately, they were gracious enough to let me try one more time.”

The first day, Vitullo emphasized he shared this day with his father and was so grateful for the quality time he spent with him. The second day, his father did not go and the unthinkable happened.

“I woke up first thing in the morning and it was extremely dark,” he said. “When we arrived at the feeder at about 6:30, the deer we were wanting was already there.”

Vitullo and his guide, Frank Marino, waited in the brush for first light.

“The buck suddenly began to walk toward us,” Vitullo said. “He left the herd of deer and when I took my shot, he didn’t go but 10 yards before he fell.”

Vitullo said he could not believe how

successful the hunt went considering how they saw no signs of the buck the first time.

“I went on my first duck hunt with my dad when I was 6 and because of his crazy work schedule, the only time we truly got to spend together was when we were hunting,” he said. “He would take me to school late, and we would spend the early morning at the public wetlands.”

This was done throughout Vitullo’s elementary years, and he recalled it as some of his most fun times.

“The fact that the first day of this deer hunt was spent with my dad, I had just as much fun sitting with him in the deer stand than the day I harvested the buck,” he said. “It was never about the big game we took, it was actually more about being able to be out there with my dad.”

Regardless of where you come from or what you do, Vitullo believes hunting and the outdoors brings people closer in a way that other things cannot.

“For me, it brings me peace,” he said. “I will be honest, when I was successful with the deer hunt, it brought forth so many emotions … these are God’s creatures and I appreciate it.”

Bird flu hitting waterfowl, water birds

A group of pheasant hunters near Aberdeen, South Dakota, went to bed in a small farmhouse. Later, they heard something hitting the roof. When morning arrived, dead snow geese were around the house and in the field.

Another group of duck hunters headed to Arkansas, where large groups of snow geese were in the fields. When they flew, the field was dotted with dead geese.

The likely culprit? Highly Patho genic Avian Influenza, or bird flu.

A vital concern to producers of domestic birds, like chickens and turkeys, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the presence of the virus in multiple lo cations throughout Texas. Disease experts indicate that HPAI is circu lating among wild birds in Texas as water birds and waterfowl are on their wintering grounds.

Most recent detections have been found in Wharton, Galveston, and Harris counties.

Detected in all states, HPAI is a highly contagious virus that trans mits easily among wild and do mestic birds. The virus can spread directly between animals and indi rectly through environmental con tamination.

Because of the ease of transmission, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Lone Star outdoor newS

Don Weempe won a deer hunt at auction and gave it to Beretta Gallery employee Michael Vitullo, who took his buck at the 3 Amigos Ranch. Photo by Frank Marino.

If hunters see dead geese in the field, they may want to leave them be and contact their local biologist, as a possible culprit could be bird flu. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

DSC, DSCF announce award winners

DSC and DSC Foundation announced several award recipients. Each will receive their award and be recognized at the 2025 DSC Convention & Sporting Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, from Jan. 9-12.

Dr. Dale Rollins, 2025 Trailblazer Award

DSC Foundation will present the 2025 Trailblazer Award to Dr. Dale Rollins.

Rollins led the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation for almost two decades, establishing himself as one of the preeminent experts on quail and upland game bird conservation.

From 1987 to 2018, Rollins worked across West Texas as a wildlife specialist for the Texas A&M University Extension Service.

He has earned numerous awards for his efforts, including most recently being inducted into the Texas Conservation Hall of Fame (2018) and the Texas Quail Hunting Hall of Fame (2024). He was honored as Texas Tech’s Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2017. He was named “National Quail Calling Champion” (2002) by Quail Unlimited.

In 1994, Rollins “hatched” the idea of a youth camp for future leaders called “Bobwhite Brigade,” now celebrating its 31st year.

Since its inception in 2007, Dale served as Executive Director of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and its experimental ranch in Fisher County for 15 years, and now serves as Director of Outreach.

The Wildlife Society, DSC Foundation Education Award

The Wildlife Society, founded in 1937, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization representing an international network of more than 11,000 members. Its mission is to empower wildlife students and professionals to advance conservation through science, community and professional excellence.

To further this mission TWS offers programs that aim to support the development and advancement of wildlife professionals throughout their careers, ensuring they have the knowledge and skills needed to effectively conserve and manage wildlife and their habitats.

Along with the award, TWS will receive a $10,000 grant from DSCF.

Safari Pike, 2025 Colin Caruthers Young Hunter Award

Safari Pike, DSC’s youngest-ever Chapter board member, began hunting as a young girl.

“I began my hunting journey when I was 6 years old,” she said. “My first big game hunt took place not long after, in South Africa when I was 7. Growing up hunting was the foundation of my personality and life. I would spend time reading magazines and books about other sportsmen and women, fawning over their personal adventures and stories.”

In the following years, Pike was able to go on one or two hunts a year.

Pike’s greatest hunting achievement in her mind is her kudu hunt.

“Since I was little, I knew that I wanted to harvest a kudu,” she said. “Their size and beauty struck me immensely and I fell in love with them. Approaching the animal for the first time was one of the most amazing feelings I’ve ever experienced. I was smiling ear to ear; his coarse fur and sun-bleached horns are something I will never forget. I’m so grateful to have had the experience to harvest such an incredible creature.”

Kelly Armstrong, 2025 Bull Elephant Award

The 2025 DSC-PAC Bull Elephant Award will be presented to North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong. This award is given to legislators at the national level who have continually supported legislation and efforts that coincide with DSC’s mission.

Armstrong represented North Dakota in the State Senate from 2013-2018, and the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019-2024, before becoming Governor in 2024. He has a long history of supporting causes that strongly align with DSC’s mission.

“It started when I was 9 years old and shot a raccoon with my bow, and I have literally hunted all over the world for everything you can think of with both a bow and a rifle,” Armstrong said. “My favorite is still pheasant hunting in southwest North Dakota.”

The Outdoor Heritage Fund in North Dakota is a piece of legislation Gov. Armstrong is proud of.

“One of the first things we did was set up an Outdoor Heritage fund to preserve habitat in North Dakota,” he said. “Whether it’s no till farming or the decrease in CRP, habitat loss is a huge problem for all of us whether in the southwest, North Dakota or in southern Africa.”

Lone Star outdoor newS

Dale Rollins

Safari Pike

Gov. Kelly Armstrong

FISHING

Flounder action steady

Gigging slowing down

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

Coastal anglers targeting flounder have been finding the flatfish along the edges of marsh drains, guts, channels and passes. The action for rodand-reel anglers has remained steady, but those who are gigging are starting to find the fish more scattered as they are beginning to move to deeper water.

Rockport-area guide Capt. Travis Wilcox said the flatfish bite has been hot and heavy since the flounder fishery reopened in mid-December.

Deep structure, holes in creek channels best

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

Wintertime patterns have set in across inland lakes and the crappie have followed suit. Good numbers of fish can be found around deep structure, as well as along holes in creek channels. The fish are somewhat scattered in areas that received heavy rains recently, but plenty of keeper-sized slabs have been caught.

Guide Daniel Koberna said the best concentrations of fish on Lake Ray Roberts have been stacked up in the deeper pockets and holes along creek channels in 12-18 feet of water.

“The crappie that are staging in holes and pockets along the creeks have been providing the most consistent action,” Koberna said. “These fish are the easiest to catch right now because they are suspended. The water surrounding these holes is about 12 feet deep, and the fish are suspended in pockets that are about 18 feet deep. Most of them are suspended from 14 to 16 feet, just off of the bottom.”

Koberna said there are some crappie holding tight to deep brush piles out to depths of about 25 feet. However, he said these fish are harder to catch because they are basically glued to the bottom and not very aggressive.

“You don’t even need forward facing sonar to catch the fish that are concentrated in the holes along the creek channels,” Koberna said. “As long as you know where the deeper pockets of the creeks are located, you can go load up on some decent crappie right now.”

Koberna has been seeing the same pattern for crappie on Lewisville Lake and Lavon Lake. Jigs in natural color patterns have been drawing the most strikes, and most of the fish have been from 11-13 inches.

On Sam Rayburn Reservoir, guide Blake Oestreich said most of the fish that he’s targeting are in depths of 20-25 feet or more, and sometimes as deep as 40 feet.

“Most of the fish have left the brush piles and are concentrating around standing timber along the main river channel in the northern half of the lake,” Oestreich said. “The crappie are a bit scattered after the recent rains that we’ve had, but there’s plenty of them out there. You just have to cover water and bounce around over standing timber.”

Oestreich said his anglers have been catching a lot of nice-sized crappie from 11-14 inches.

“All of the fish we have been catching recently are large,” he said. “I haven’t had

“Our flounder numbers are as good as I’ve ever seen them,” Wilcox said. “We are primarily targeting them in sloughs and marsh drains throughout the Aransas Bay complex. Some of the best concentrations of flounder have been located in Mesquite Bay. The closer to Cedar Bayou you get, the more fish you’ll find.”

Most of the flounder have been in about 2-3 feet of water. The fish have been striking scented soft plastics rigged on a 1/4-ounce jig head.

“Most of the flounder we are catching are in the 2- to 3-pound range, but we are catching a few up to 5 or 6 pounds,” Wilcox said. “My anglers have been able to consistently catch fish that are 18 inches or longer.”

In Galveston Bay, Capt. Trenton St. John said the flatfish action along the Galveston ship channel has been slow and

“There has definitely been a lot of pressure in well-known flounder hot spots since the fishery opened back up,” St. John said. “I’ve been having the most success targeting flatfish around rocky areas in 2 to 6 feet of water adjacent to the channel ledge or drop-off.”

St. John and his anglers

on a variety of bait presenta tions. Scented swimbaits and shrimp-imitation soft plastics have been drawing strikes, as well as live finger mullet and live shrimp.

“We haven’t been catching limits, but we have been able to put some decent, keepersized fish in the boat every of hours specifically targeting flounder,” he explained. “A lot of the fish have been in the 17to 18-inch range, with some larger ones mixed in.” St. John thinks the best time window for flounder in the Galveston Bay complex took place when the fishery was closed during the first two

First 13-pounder of the year

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Brady Stanford, of Millersview, reeled in a 13.13-pound largemouth bass from O.H. Ivie Reservoir on Jan. 2, keeping the lake’s streak of lunkers alive.

Stanford fished with his father in the morning but stayed on the lake on his own for the afternoon, checking a few different spots and then heading over to some areas that he knew had big fish lurking under the water.

“I pulled up to one of the spots and within five minutes I had the fish on,” said Stanford. “As soon as I got her in the boat, I knew she was going to be at least 13 pounds. I weighed her and the fish was a little over 13 pounds on my scale, so I called Concho Marina and let them know I needed to use their certified scale. We weighed the fish and then called TPWD to collect her.”

The bass is the second lunker submitted by Stanford. His first came on Jan. 23, 2022 with a 15.03-pounder at O.H. Ivie. He also has guided three clients to catch lunkers in the past two years.

O.H. Ivie has had 54 bass topping 13 pounds submitted to the ShareLunker program.

Fishermen, dog survive tornado

Lone Star outdoor newS

On Saturday, Dec. 28, Brian Johnson was fishing at the 201-acre Stanolind Reservoir, in Chambers County, near Winnie, with his friend, Tony, and his dog. He could see a storm in the distance.

However, the storm suddenly changed course and headed straight for them. He attempted to anchor his boat in the reeds to weather the storm, but the boat flipped.

“We’re not in the middle of the sea or in a giant lake, we’re in a small reservoir,” Johnson said in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “So I’m trying to hold on, but I can’t find Tony. So I’m hollering for Tony, and now I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, my friend is dead. He’s drowned under this boat or something.’ So I’m pulling on the boat, trying to lift it up.”

Fortunately, once the tornado passed, his friend was hiding underneath the boat. The two boaters and Johnson’s dog were not hurt.

The National Weather Service confirmed this was an E-F3 tornado with peak winds of 138 miles per hour.

“I made a poor decision that put me in the middle of a storm,” Johnson said in the video.

Guide Daniel Koberna shows a good-sized Lake Ray Roberts crappie caught along the bottom near a brush pile in about 25 feet of water. Photo from Daniel Koberna.

Preston Vavra shows two flounder he caught along the Galveston Ship Channel. Photo by Capt. Trenton St. John.

Brady Stanford landed this 13.13-pound largemouth at O.H. Ivie Reservoir on Jan. 2. Photo from TPWD.

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 51 degrees; 0.06’ high. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on liver and cut shad.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 68 degrees; 65.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, grubs, crankbaits and Texas-rigged worms. White bass are good on spoons, underspins and umbrella rigs. Stripers are slow.

ARLINGTON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics.

ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 5.40’ low. Catfish are good on fresh cut shad.

ATHENS: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.53’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, wacky-rigged senkos and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow.

AUSTIN: Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.62’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jerkbaits and weightless flukes.

B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.39’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics, top-waters and frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines.

BASTROP: Water stained; 63 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on worms and flukes.

BELTON: Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.22’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.49’ low. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on chatter baits and Texasrigged worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.03’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads and jigs.

BOIS D’ARC: Water stained; 57 degrees; 4.00’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits, spinner baits, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on jigs.

BRAUNIG: Water stained, 71 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on plastics. Redfish are fair on shrimp, shad and crawfish. Catfish are fair on cheese bait.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.27’ high. Largemouth bass are good on minnow baits, jigs and Alabama rigs. Crappie

are slow. White bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 16.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, shaky heads, crankbaits and swimbaits. Stripers and white bass are fair on jigs and slabs.

CADDO: Water stained; 52 degrees; 0.36’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Alabama rigs, chatter baits, swimbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie, white bass and yellow bass are fair on jigs.

CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained, 75 degrees. Redfish are fair on shrimp and crawfish. Catfish are slow.

CANYON: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 28.02’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits and Alabama rigs. White bass are good on jigging spoons. Stripers are good on jigs and top-waters.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 55 degrees; 3.88’ low. Hybrids and white bass are good on jigs and flukes. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

COMANCHE CREEK: 75 degrees; 0.47’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

CONROE: Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.73’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jerkbaits and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Hybrids are good on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.

COOPER: Water stained; 55 degrees: 2.00’ low. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 65 degrees; 12.51’ low. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 56 degrees; 4.90’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

FAL-

CON: Water stained; 68 degrees; 44.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

good on minnows and jigs.

FT PHANTOM HILL:

Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.64’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Sand bass and crappie are good jigs. Striped bass are good on soft plastics. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.95’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on shad.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 58 degrees; 1.49’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.

GREENBELT: Water stained; 65 degrees; 49.27’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.

HOUSTON COUNTY:

Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.17’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 60 degrees; 13.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on live bait or cut carp.

JACKSONVILLE: Water stained; 59 degrees; 0.10’ high. Largemouth bass are slow.

JOE POOL: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are slow.

LAKE O’ THE PINES:

Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.51’ high. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, swimbaits and jigs.

FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow.

FORK: Water stained; 57 degrees; 2.39’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 2.26’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass are fair on slabs and flukes. Catfish are good on cut gizzard shad.

LBJ: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on creature baits, worms and flukes. Crappie are fair on

minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 53 degrees; 2.30’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

LIMESTONE: Water stained; 57 degrees; 2.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, chatter baits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and minnows.

LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.82’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.

MARTIN CREEK: Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.05’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on drop-shot worms and Carolina rigs. Crappie are slow. Sand bass are fair on jigging spoons. Catfish are fair on live and cut bait.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 51 degrees; 47.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs. Walleye are good on minnows, grubs and other artificials. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, minnows and frozen shad.

low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, shaky heads and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are slow.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 17.98’ low. White bass are good on spoons and slabs. Crappie are good on jigs.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Crappie are good on jigs.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.03’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigs, chatter baits and jigs. Striped bass are fair on live bait. White bass are fair on slabs and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.15’ high. Catfish are good on cut bait. Hybrid bass are good on swimbaits.

RAVEN: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, worms and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are fair on worms and stink bait.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 1.61’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.29’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrids are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on shad.

NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 55 degrees; 1.70’ high. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait or live minnows.

NACONICHE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are slow.

NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees. 0.43’ 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; 60 degrees; 0.90’ low. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on live perch and shad.

O H IVIE: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 22.89’

RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.88’ low. White bass are fair on live bait and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 56 degrees; 1.70’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and jigs. Hybrid stripers are fair on live bait and slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and swim jigs. Crappie and white bass are fair on jigs and spinners. Catfish are good on cut bait and minnows.

SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.12’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Hybrids are fair on cut bait Catfish are fair on minnows and punch bait.

SPENCE: Water stained; 65 degrees. 45.74’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are good on

spoons and inline spinners. Catfish are slow.

STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and jigs. White bass are good on slabs.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 2.11’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Hybrid stripers are slow. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.

TEXANA: Water stained; 60 degrees; 4.90’ low. Catfish are good on shad.

TEXOMA: Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.97’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and slow-moving baits. Striper are good on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are slow.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 58 degrees; 2.40’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, Carolina rigs and big crankbaits. Crappie are slow.

TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 42.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and Texas-rigged power worms.

WACO: Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.20’ low. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

WALTER E LONG: Water lightly stain; 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits, spinner baits, lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.37’ high. Striped bass are fair on flukes. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on punch bait.

WORTH: Water stained; 56 degrees; 2.33’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 5.84’ high. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait.

OUTDOOR BLOTTER

THREE DEER SHOT ILLEGALLY, DUMPED

Texas game wardens are seeking information related to acts involving the illegal harvest and dump ing of white-tailed deer in Polk County. On or around the evening of Dec. 9, 2024, three white-tailed deer were illegally dumped between Livingston and Onalaska in Polk County. The white-tailed buck did not meet antler restrictions for Polk County. The two does were killed outside of doe season. All three deer were dumped, and the meat was left to waste. Persons with any information are asked to contact Polk County game wardens.

PAIR CAUGHT SPEARING BIG BASS AT LADY BIRD

On Dec. 30, 2024, game wardens responded to a public tip about illegal fishing activity on Lady Bird Lake, near Barton Springs. A Travis County game warden and captain located two suspects — one actively spearing black bass with a pneumatic speargun while snorkeling (a violation of state fishing regulations), and the other stationed onshore with a cooler and bag. Upon inspecting the cooler, wardens uncovered 18 unlawfully taken largemouth bass weighing a total of 76.05 pounds and measuring a combined 348 inches. Among them, 14 were larger than 18 inches, with nine exceeding 20 inches. All fish, along with the spearguns and gear, were seized, and the bass were donated for consumption. The suspects face multiple citations for illegal fishing methods and unlawful possession of largemouth bass.

BIG SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN

A recent search and rescue in Gillespie County resulted in a happy ending thanks to the teamwork of first responders and volunteers. On the evening of Dec. 19,

the Gillespie County Sheriff’s Office contacted game wardens for K9, aerial and ground search assistance after an elderly gentleman, last seen on his ranch near Harper, was reported missing. Warden Sgt. Dustin Flem ming, alongside his K9 partner, Piper, quickly reached out to the Texas Game Warden Aviation Unit for helicop ter support. A warden launched his drone and utilized its thermal capabilities to search while waiting for the heli copter to arrive. The Harper Volunteer Fire Department also assisted in the search. Wardens in Menard County joined the effort, confirming the man wasn’t at another property he owned in their area, allowing teams to focus on his large ranch in Gillespie County. After hours of searching as the temperature dropped, the man’s son found him alive and well, walking along a fence line on a neighboring ranch during the early morning hours. The man said he could hear the helicopter overhead and followed a barbed wire fence hoping the helicopter would soon spot him.

Snow geese impacted

Department recommends that game bird hunters consider precautions such as:

• Disposing carcasses properly

• Wearing gloves when processing

• Avoiding consumption or processing of any sick bird

• Cleaning and disinfecting tools between carcasses

• Cooking meat to proper temperatures

The department said the transmission risk of avian influenza from infected birds to people remains low, but recommends if you encounter a wild animal with signs consistent with HPAI to contact your local TPWD wildlife biologist.

Dogs retrieving birds are at low risk, but chewing on or eating potentially sick birds should be avoided.

Panhandle biologists got the chance to assist the Small Game Program - Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A&M Kingsville researchers with a cackling goose capture. The effort was part of a study to assess cackling goose migrations, survival, and a plethora of additional questions about the species. Biologists banded each bird and placed GPS

Photo

TPWD

GRIP & GRIN

Trevor Griffin, of Driftwood, took his first buck with a compound bow from a pop-up blind near Goldwaithe.

Liam Keyes took his first deer at the Cactus Jack Ranch, in Encinal. Liam was with his granddaddy, Dale Keyes, of Laurel, Mississippi. Liam is pictured with guide Tim Skaggs

Wyatt Bohannon, of Waller, took this buck at the Double Anchor Ranch, in Kerrville, after watching three larger bucks that wouldn’t present a clear shot.

Jerry St Clair shot this 16-inch wide buck with a drop tine in Caldwell County.

Jett Cantu shows a nice stringer of white bass caught from a small, Hill Country lake just before the New Year. He said it was his best fishing day ever.

Remember when a hunter was measured by how well he shot, and not how much he spent? When memories were measured in curly tails, not dollar bills? We do. And that is why we created the Spandau S2. A reliable, extremely well balanced waterfowl gun built around the Inertia operating system for unmatched performance at a price that shows that you still know the true measure of a hunter.

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES

Freeport Harbor

Nueces Bay

Based in Texas and in Africa, LONE STAR AFRICA offers traveling hunters a unique service. With partners in Africa, yet based in Texas, we bring you Africa with absolute peace of mind. Based on our media knowledge, understanding of every element of the safari, it is time to take care of hunters, from A-Z.

How it works

• A unique ‘End-to-End’ service, where traveling is about enjoying the safari and us taking care of every detail. We take care of:

• Booking flights through an agent who specialises in this.

• Arranging the Joburg airport meet and greet, gun permits if you need, overnight accommodation with Afton Safari Lodge

• Transfers to and from the game lodge.

• On the ground, 24/7 contact, while in Africa, giving you ‘in-country’ peace of mind.

• Offering the most affordable ALL-IN safari pricing using trusted and qualified outfitters.

• Ensuring the taxidermy & trophy shipping - of your trophies is efficient, superior quality and the most affordable solution. From the salt on the game farm to your trophy room, finished and processed, this turnkey A-Z, one point of contact service; is what we call taking care ‘after the hunt.’

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Solution on Page 26

ACROSS

3) Border lake

5) West Texas lake

10) A spaniel

11) Group of crows

13) The young tom

15) Bass ambush spot

16) Worm rigging style

18) New Year’s Eve staple, black-___ peas

20) Sheep hunters’ org.

21) Fishing TV host

22) East Texas river

25) The small white goose

26) The drake mallard

28) DFW-area lake (two words)

30) Sinker type

32) Shotgun brand, Caesar ____

33) Used to hide from ducks, deer

35) Brownwood’s county

37) A goose favorite

39) McMullen County’s seat

41) Ammo brand

42) Rocksprings’ county

43) Smith County’s seat

Naig to head NPAA

The National Professional Anglers Association named Eric Naig as its new president to replace the retiring Pat Neu.

RPO hires Vela

Juan Vela joined Rochester Precision Optics as business development manager.

Douglas returns to Delta Waterfowl

Jason Douglas joined Delta Waterfowl Foundation as its associate development director.

Outtech founder retires

Jay Scholes, Outtech’s founder, announced his retirement after 45 years in the outdoor industry.

Marketing group for Relentless Knives

Relentless Knives USA partnered with Clover Solutions to lead the company’s strategic planning, sales and marketing efforts.

Jobs at RMEF

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is seeking an editor for Bugle magazine, a membership data specialist and a membership marketing specialist.

Texas field director sought at WU

Whitetails Unlimited Inc. is seeking a parttime field director in Texas to execute program services.

8-10 bluegill fillets

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

4 chopped Spanish olives

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

Crackers or lettuce leaves

Month of the South Texas rut

Common, silver or bighead

Lamar County’s seat 7) Safari destination 8) Odessa’s county 9) DeWitt County’s seat

12) A duck favorite 14) Corsicana’s county 17) Coastal bay 19) The flathead catfish 23) One of the eagles 24) One of the falcons 26) The young goose

27) An African antelope

29) Crappie favorite

44) Duck call brand DOWN 1) Hunting boot brand

31) Organ eaten by duck hunters

33) Fishing line type 34) Brazos River lake

35) Group of hippos

36) East Texas oak

38) Salmon species 40) A Great Lake

Boil bluegill fillets completely and shred or chop fish. In a glass bowl, add cream cheese, spices and olives, and mix. Add chopped bluegill and mix in. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Serve over crackers or lettuce leaves. —Michigan DNR

quail, quartered

cup sliced red cabbage

cup sour cream

limes, halved

cup diced cilantro

Cut cabbage and season with 2 pinches of salt and 1 pinch of sugar. Let sit 30 minutes to cut moisture. Squeeze the cabbage to get more moisture out. To cabbage, add mayo, sour cream, cilantro, green onion and juice of 2 limes. Mix with tongs. Add salt and lime to taste. Quarter the quail and season with Nashville hot seasoning in a mixing bowl. Add oil to frying pan and heat. Pan-fry quail skin side down, a few minutes. Flip and finish cooking on other side. For aioli dipping

and

Serve with slaw and garlic lime aioli for dipping.

—Quail Forever

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

Slow duck season

has to have successful hunts.

“I’ve been able to stay on the birds, but I’ve had to cover a lot of ground to do so and have had to scout constantly,” Horne said. “I’ve knocked on doors and asked for permission on properties more than I ever have. There haven’t been any mediocre hunts this season. You’re either in a spot where the birds want to be, or you’re not going to hardly even see a duck.”

Usually, Horne is able to set up on a pond in an area that has been holding good num bers of ducks and traffic birds that are flying over and coax them into his spread.

“It’s not like that this season,” he explained. “You’ve got to do your homework and be on the ‘X,’ or you’re going to have a tough hunt.”

Most of the birds Horne is seeing are wigeon and gadwall with a handful of other species of puddle ducks mixed in.

Mid-coast waterfowl hunting guide, Capt. Kevin Diehl, said this has been the worst duck season that he has ever experienced, especially along the coastal prairie properties where he guides in Wharton and Fort Bend counties.

“We have ponds that have only been hunted a handful of times, because they just haven’t been holding consistent, huntable numbers of ducks,” Diehl said. “Inconsistency has been the theme this year. Even when I’ve found decent numbers of birds in an area while scouting in the afternoons, they seem to have disappeared or moved on by the following morning when I go in to hunt them.”

Diehl said he and many other guides and outfitters think the ducks have become nocturnal due to pressure, and are feeding at night.

“We’ve had a lot of morning hunts where we are covered up with ducks landing in the decoys about 10 minutes or so before legal shooting time,” Diehl said. “Then, when it’s finally legal light, we’ll have one volley or shot opportunity. After that, those birds leave, and they don’t come back.”

The most consistent success Diehl has had has been hunting the public waters of West Matagorda Bay in the afternoons. His hunters have been harvesting limits of redheads and scaup, with some pintails and other diver ducks mixed in.

Many hunters and outfitters in the Garwood and El Campo areas also are saying this has been one of the toughest seasons for ducks that they can remember. There just hasn’t been consistent numbers of birds holding in specific areas the entire season.

Waterfowl hunters with access to ponds and cattle tanks in the South Texas brush country have been having some decent shoots. Their straps have included wigeon, green-winged teal, gadwall, pintail and mottled ducks.

Many Texas duck hunters agree the season has been tough, although some of the better hunts have been taking place on ponds and tanks on more secluded private properties. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

OREGON

Poaching ring busted

High-tech poaching emerged in Oregon when officials served search warrants on nine Clackamas County residences on Dec. 15 and 16.

Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers arrested 13 individuals and seized 14 infrared thermal imaging devices, one rifle and four deer in an operation that followed months of investigation into the subjects’ use of Forward-Looking Infrared, or FLIR, to illegally kill deer, elk and other big game animals. Laws prohibit the use of thermal and infrared devices to hunt, locate, or scout for wildlife.

This fall, troopers began investigating several individuals who were reportedly using infrared technology to kill deer and elk in a specific area. —OSP

ARKANSAS

Warden named SEAFWA officer of the year

Game Warden Austin Powell was named the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2024 Robert M. Brantly Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The honor followed up his winning the AGFC’s Monty Carmikle Officer of the Year Award in late July.

For Powell, shotshell forensics helped make an interstate case involving Mississippi poachers harvesting turkeys out of season on a Mississippi River island within Arkansas; DNA analysis was critical in another turkey case where Powell and investigators were able to take blood off a knife and compare it to the carcass of a turkey, getting a match to prove the suspect had illegally taken the bird. The drone also was used in a waterfowl case in which evidence was documented through photos and video of illegal crop manipulation over several months for duck hunting. Powell is also a K-9 handler in the division.

—AGFC

Twenty elk taken in short seasons

Twenty elk were harvested during Arkansas’s 2024 season, including some impressive bulls, according to Wes Wright, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s elk program coordinator.

Of the 20, 14 were taken on private land and six from public land. Nine were bulls and 11 were antlerless. All nine bulls had racks of 5x5 or greater, including a 7x7 and a 6x7. The hunts were Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 28-Nov. 1; youth hunts were Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 26-27.

—AGFC

WASHINGTON,

D.C.

Officers of CSF named

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Board of Directors elected Ken Eubanks, CEO of Rather Outdoors, as chairman; James Cummins, Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi, as vice-chairman; Adam Putnam, CEO of Ducks Unlimited, as secretary; and Brandon Maddox, founder and CEO of Silencer Central, as treasurer. Additionally, new board member David Wielicki, CEO of South Carolina Waterfowl Association, was appointed.

KENTUCKY

Lock box for MLF anglers

Major League Fishing has unveiled a new lock box, designed and manufactured by Precision Sonar, that will support new rules limiting anglers to the use of two forward-facing or 360-degree sonar transducers during competition.

The innovative, simple-to-use device will be provided free to all anglers who need to lock out excess transducers during competition. The lock box provides an effective solution to temporarily disable and secure excess transducers on tournament boats, thus maintaining a fair and level playing field under new MLF rules.

Seeking slabs

to weed through small, undersized fish much at all. The fish have been hitting jigs extremely well. Any color pattern with a chartreuse tail has been working. If they get finicky, you can drop a minnow down to them and usually get bit.”

On Lake O’ the Pines, guide Kacey Tilley said the crappie have been feeding good around standing timber and brush in 10-25 feet of water. His anglers have been having the most success using 1/8-ounce jigs in a Monkey Milk color pattern.

Conrad Mingledorf caught this slab from a deep hole on Lake Ray Roberts.

Photo by Daniel Koberna.

Gobblers and hunters

predation losses. The annual survival of gobblers in the unhunted population was 83 percent while survival in the hunted population was 53 percent.

In both populations, neither predators nor hunters affected total daily movement rates or roost site fidelity, but in the hunted population there was a significant reduction in the use of core areas within their home range. Hunted turkeys also gobbled less frequently than nonhunted gobblers.

One of the studies used telemetry on turkeys, coyotes and hunters and looked at gobbler movements during and immediately following interactions. The first observation researchers made was that interactions were remarkably few, and even during hunting season turkeys weren’t affected often by either hunters or coyotes. When turkeys and coyotes were in close proximity to each other, turkeys moved short distances and resumed their activities almost immediately. When gobblers encountered hunters, they moved significantly farther than they did when encountering coyotes.

Gobblers did not appear to make preemptive movements specifically to avoid individual hunters, but they did avoid the habitat where they could be easily detected by using open areas and secondary roads far less often during the hunting season. After the hunting season was over, they resumed using these areas.

While these studies may not be news to turkey hunters, it’s nice when science confirms field observations. Controlling hunting pressure on private ranches will allow turkeys to behave in a more predictable pattern. While these results apply to the eastern subspecies of turkeys, they also give a pretty good idea of impacts and responses of Rio Grande gobblers.

The studies also looked at the same impacts to hens, though they are still analyzing that data. One conclusion, though, is that predators killed many more hens than gobblers.

Good restart for flounder

weeks of December.

“There’s also been some flounder scattered along rocky banks in Moses Lake,” St. John said. “Live shrimp rigged under a popping cork has been the ticket in Moses.”

Flounder gigging guide Capt. Joe Kirchens said flounder numbers holding in the shallows at night in the Port Aransas area are starting to become more scattered.

“The fish were stacked up when the fishery first reopened back in December, but now it seems that the smaller fish have started to move toward deeper water,” Kirchens said. “We are still gigging some larger fish over 20 inches in length, but we are not finding large numbers of fish stacked up in the shallows like we were a few weeks ago.”

Kirchens said there are still plenty of fish to be caught with a rod and reel, he just feels that the majority of flounder are starting to move toward deeper drop-offs and channels.

“The gigging action around Port A will likely remain sporadic until the fish begin their migration back toward the shallows in early spring,” he said.

SABINE LAKE: 68 degrees. Black drum and redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork or on a Carolina rig. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics.

BOLIVAR: 67 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and live mullet. Black drum are good on dead shrimp and cracked crab.

TRINITY BAY: 63 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Black drum are good on live or dead

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 62 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on hard plastic baits and soft plastic lures. Black drum are good on shrimp.

GALVESTON BAY: 64 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are fair on live shrimp.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 64 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics. Black drum and redfish are fair on live shrimp.

TEXAS CITY: 62 degrees. Bull redfish and oversized black drum are good on cut mullet and cracked crab. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics and live mullet. Flounder are good on live shrimp and scented plastics.

FREEPORT: 62 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on soft plastics and Gulp under a popping cork. Redfish and black drum are good on live shrimp or fresh dead shrimp.

live shrimp. Redfish are good on soft plastics. PORT O’CONNOR: 60 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp. Redfish are good on blue crab and Spanish sardines. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp.

SAN ANTONIO BAY: 61 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics. Redfish are fair on shrimp.

ROCKPORT: 71 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut mullet. Black drum are good on live or dead shrimp.

REDFISH BAY: 66 degrees. Speckled trout are slow. Redfish are fair on dead shrimp and live piggy perch. Flounder are fair gigging. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: 71 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp and cut mullet. Bull redfish are good on cut crab and mullet. Speckled trout are good on free-lined shrimp. Black drum are fair on shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 66 degrees. Redfish are fair on dead shrimp and live piggy perch. Speckled trout are fair on piggy perch. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp. Flounder are good gigging.

BAFFIN BAY: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitch baits. Redfish are fair on spoons and soft plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: 76 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on suspending

Drumming at the piers

hungry they will eat.”

The Fulton Fishing Pier has been busy over the holidays, and the fishing has been good for oversized drum.

“We have a guy that comes in and he fly-fishes or he does artificial and he’s been catching and releasing trout,” the pier’s Sherry Hudson said “Otherwise, the anglers are still catching some shark and alligator gar.”

Anglers are having the most success on crab and cut bait.

The longest pier in Texas, Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier, in Port Isabel, boasts some good fishing.

“The last couple weeks they have been catching redfish, black drum, specks, sharks and a bunch of stuff you don’t want like stingrays and catfish,” a pier worker said.

Pier anglers have been most successful catching drums off the bottom on cut mullet and squid with glow-in-the-dark rigs. Free-lining shrimp in the current has produced speckled trout.

Black drum are starting to roll in at the Cos-Way Bait and Tackle Pier, in Corpus Christi.

“A couple of reds every once in a while too,” Dalton Stephens said. “If you can get your hands on sea lice they are pretty good on them.”

Stephens said anglers also are catching an occasional trout or flounder.

“Overall the fishing has been good especially with the wind coming out of the north causing a little bit of chop on the water,” he said. “Once it cools down a little more, you will see more red drum.”

Drum season from the pier tends to run from January through March.

“They are running a little bit but not as hot as next month,” Stephens said. January also kicks off the drum tournaments at the pier. There is an entry fee of $10 each month, and at the end of the month, the largest fish wins prizes of gear and money. The fish must be checked in and released alive to qualify.

Foster and Traw win Troutmasters event

At the two-day Texas Troutmasters event at Corpus Christi, the team of Wyatt Foster and Brandon Traw came out on top with a total weight of 24.34 pounds.

The tournament requires all anglers fish with artificial lures, with no trout brought to a weighin. Digital scales were provided and anglers video the scale being zeroed and the fish weighed before the trout is released and seen swimming away.

Second place was taken by Chris Stutz and Tim Rudolph, with 22.4 pounds; while Trent Whitley and Kolby Peyton finished third with 21.94 pounds.

The team of Coby Young and Brett Caron led after Day One with 15.23 pounds, anchored by Young’s 8.13-pound speckled trout, which won the Heaviest Trout honors. Whitley and Peyton had the heaviest Day Two weight, at 13.89 pounds, led by Whitley’s 7.63-pounder. The Heaviest Trout of Day Two was weighed by Tryler Kolman, at 7.85 pounds.

—Staff report

A different approach

Continued from page 4

and head back to the boat. As he came over the edge of a cliff, he could see the boat from where he was standing.

“I looked down the cliff in front of me and saw the boat at the water’s edge,” he said. “And then I looked to the right and saw a buck about 30 yards away from me. He was just standing there looking around and seemed to be completely unaware of my presence.”

Smith thought the buck was coming out from a bedding area, looking for a doe. The buck started to move in his direction, getting closer with every step.

“I drew my bow, and when he came to an opening that I had in front of me to shoot through, I let out a grunt to try to stop him,” Smith said. “The deer stopped right at about 20 yards, and I released my arrow.”

The downhill shot hit a little high, but the arrow caught the upper portion of the buck’s lungs, as well as his spine, dropping him instantly.

“Using this boat to harvest a buck on public land was all about carrying on my Pop’s legacy of going hunting and fishing, and enjoying challenging and rewarding adventures in the outdoors,” Smith said. “I’m grateful that it all came together.”