By Meghan Sharber For Lone Star outdoor newS
Some Texans dread spring break because of the crowded tourist destinations and possible chaos, but for fishermen, little interferes with their opportunity to fish.
Wildlife artist Rob Morrison went on a charter fishing trip on Lake Conroe with his friend and former University of Texas football player, Matthew Logan.
Morrison said they were barely shy of their limit, but with the “Bass Master,” G-Ma, they still had a phenomenal turnout.
“G-Ma, she was a pro,” Morrison said. “She caught the first fish,
“What I love about fishing is whether you catch anything or not, you are constantly out there pursuing and trying to get better,” Morrison said. “The target of this trip was the hybrid stripers, and with three kids and Matt’s mother-in-law, G-Ma, in attendance, we got the job done.”
A major front pushed across the state the night before the South Zone spring turkey early youth weekend began. The weather system significantly dropped temperatures and produced strong winds throughout most of the two-day stretch. Many youth hunters struggled to get within range of a longbeard, as the birds were tight-lipped and didn’t venture too far from creek bottoms, brush, and other areas with heavy cover.
Averie Link, a 16-year-old from Dickinson, went on her first turkey hunt with her dad in Wilson County. “It was almost 90 degrees on Friday afternoon,” she said. “When we got up to go hunting the next morning the air temperature was in the high 40s and the wind was gusting out of the north at 20 to 30 miles per hour.”
Link said she did not hear a single gobble until after the birds flew down later that morning.
“We finally started hearing a few gobblers sounding off a couple of hours after sunrise, but the wind made it really hard to tell just how far away they were,” she explained. “They would not gobble in response to a call, and really didn’t talk for very long.”
Link said the wind subsided slightly later that afternoon, but the birds never made a sound. With her dad, she spent four hours set up along the edge of a creek bottom where
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newSAnglers headed to the coast were met with varying wind directions and velocities, along with changing temperatures. Fishing guides stayed busy as they tried to keep their anglers hooked up. A variety of species were caught, with a lot of small, undersized fish mixed in.
Galveston Bay guide, Capt. Ryan Battistoni, has been spending most of his time hiding from the wind in Chocolate Bay and its surrounding marshes and tributaries. Making long drifts over scattered shell with live shrimp rigged under a popping cork has been producing solid numbers of specked trout for his anglers.
“There have been some really
nice fish measuring up to 24 inches or so, with a lot of trout in the 18- to 22-inch range,” he said. “There’s a lot of smaller, undersized specks out there too, you just have to keep fishing until you come across some larger fish.”
The guide’s anglers also have been catching quite a few redfish and flounder on live shrimp rigged under a popping
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By Mike Bodenchuk For Lone Star outdoor newS
Bobwhite quail have received a lot of research attention over the past 30 years. Quail research continues in the South Plains and in South Texas as landowners and scientists try to reverse the quail decline. One topic of significant study has been the supplemental feeding of quail to increase survival.
In a research paper presented at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, researchers described a field trial of using supplemental feed for quail along the roads on a South Texas ranch to see if supplying feed increased body mass. It was hypothesized that increased body mass would help quail survive over winter.
To conduct the study, managers applied grain sorghum at a rate of 70 pounds per mile of road in one area and did not supplement quail on another site. Quail were hunted in both areas, and birds shot were taken immediately to the vehicle where they were weighed. Interestingly, the use of supplemental feed in this experiment did not affect the body weight of the birds.
Following the presentation of the results, researchers and other quail experts discussed the possible reasons for their observations. It was noted that supplemental feed may not be necessary in good habitat. It was also noted that grain sorghum may not be the ideal food source, as it’s lower in digestible nutrients than other grains. Perhaps more telling, because bobwhites are genetically programmed to avoid predation, it is a disadvantage for a bird to gain too much weight. A fat quail may be killed by a predator more easily than one that is more fit.
Another observation was that hunters in the supplemental feed area encountered coveys closer to the road than they did in the no treatment area. While quail did not gain weight from the use of grain sorghum, it appear they use the feed and, in doing so, they may not have to move around the landscape as much. Whether supplemental feed reduces their exposure to predators by reducing the need to move was not examined.
Stan Graff, in an effort to create quail habitat and reintroduce bobwhite quail on his Red River County Graff Ranch, worked with Tall Timbers, a Research Station & Land Conservancy, to conduct prescribed burns on about 500 acres in early March.
“It went really well,” Graff said. “Overall we had a good burn on 90 to 95 percent of the area.”
Kyle Carrington, the East Texas Prescribed Fire Outreach Coordinator at Tall Timbers, said the area hadn’t been burned in 50 years, and the initial fires would help get rid of the heavy fuel buildup.
“We divided it into four sections based on roads and fire breaks,” Carrington said. “They had harvested timber a few years ago, and we needed the right conditions so the fire wouldn’t get too hot and damage the pine trees and remaining hardwoods. They had thinned the area pretty heavily, but it will still need another burn or two before all the extra fuel is gone.”
The private lands team of six out of Florida, Georgia and Carrington from Texas, after scouting the area, burned black lines on the downwind side so the fire wouldn’t escape, and then burned the sections downwind. The burning process took two days.
“Once we get the excess fuel burned, then we’ll split it up into smaller patchwork blocks and burn a quarter of it each year,” Carrington said.
The end goal of the lengthy process is quail production.
“It will take some time to get there,” Carrington said. “The burns will promote forb production, create plant diversity and help with native grass restoration.
Graff’s plan is to expand the burning effort.
“We’ll expand by another 350 acres,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to get to 1,450 acres and set the stage for reintroduction of bobwhites. And it also should accelerate the eastern turkey production, which has been good (Graff’s ranch was the original eastern turkey release site when the birds were reintroduced in East Texas) and it will be good for the deer. Everybody wins.”
He credited Tall Timbers with a safe and productive burn.
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Matt Olsen had a memorable hunt on opening morning of the South Zone spring turkey season. The Victoria resident, who loves turkey hunting so much that he started a National Wild Turkey Federation chapter in his hometown, hunted near Nixon, and knew rain was in the forecast. The rain let up to a drizzle as he started hunting, and as the cardinals began to wake up the rest of the woods, a pack of coyotes sounded off and he heard toms all around, gobbling. He headed into the woods and got into position. When the sun rose, the rain picked up and the birds went silent. Olsen softly purred and clucked and got a response, but then nothing. He called again, louder this time, and the tom sounded off. He quickly put out a jake decoy and ducked back into the woods.
The tom came out in a full strut, slowly spitting and drumming his way into the decoy. After 15 minutes of putting on a show and fighting with the decoy, Olsen did a sharp cut call, bringing him out of a full strut and bringing his head up.
“For the next hour I sat there in the rain, literally soaking it all up,” Olsen said. Photo from Matt Olsen.
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“On the second morning of the hunt, the wind had finally died, but it was even cold er,” she said. “The birds gobbled quite a bit before leaving the roost, but once they hit the ground, they stayed deep in the creek bottom along the edge of the property.”
Link and her dad tried sneaking in closer to the thicket of oaks where they heard the birds gobbling, but never could lay eyes on the gobblers or get them to come their way.
“Even though I wasn’t able to harvest a gobbler over the weekend, I still had a great time with my dad trying something new,” Link said. “I’ve never heard a turkey gobble before, and that was pretty exciting.”
Guide Zach Montalvo took his son hunting during the youth weekend as well, and said the weather change seemed to have the birds shut down.
“We couldn’t get the birds to leave the creek bottom they were hanging out in,” Montalvo said. “They definitely seemed to want to stay in thicker cover, out of the wind.”
Montalvo said he was able to get some birds to gobble in response to his calls a few times over the weekend.
“It was real strange,” he admitted. “I’d think I would have one fired up and coming our way, and then he would go silent. All of a sudden I’d hear a gobble farther away again. There was just no way to really figure them out.”
Montalvo noticed the birds returned to their normal patterns in the days that followed the early youth weekend as weather conditions warmed up and stabilized.
Reports from turkey hunters trying to get their kids on birds in Karnes County were similar. Most said they saw very few birds venturing out of heavy cover in the strong winds. Gobbling activity was almost nonexistent.
Blake Jones never thought a hobby he took interest in as a teenager would turn into a full-time career. He owns and operates Blake Jones Designs under his company, Leather King Manufacturing LLC, and manufactures custom, handcrafted leather hunting gear and travel luggage out of La Vernia. Jones has been manufacturing leather goods for about 35 years.
“I’ve been doing leather work since I was about 14 years old,” Jones said. “I started off with a leather working kit that I got for Christmas as a young teen. That sparked my interest, and years later it turned into a career.”
Jones began his career in the early 1990s while working with a company that did leather work in Pearsall, where he was able to expand his knowledge of leather working and fine tune his skills. Within a short time period, he started managing the company. He stepped away from leather work to pursue other trades and opportunities in other parts of the state before moving to La Vernia in 2003 and starting Blake Jones Designs.
“At the time, I was manufacturing leather products for other companies,” Jones said. “Nobody knew who I was, because the goods I was manufacturing were being sold under other company names. So I decided to rebrand.”
The majority of the leather products and goods Jones has been manufacturing have been hunting and outdoor gear, such as bird hunting bags and belts, shell bags, gun cases and travel luggage. He sells a lot of his products to sporting goods stores and firearm dealers, as well as to corporate clients. Ad-
ditionally, he takes orders from individuals.
“My best selling and most popular products are the leather bird bags and skeet bags,” he said. “These items are customizable and can be handcrafted to meet the specific needs of any customer. Besides the fact that they are must-have pieces of gear in the field, they also make great presents. Many folks order them for birthday presents, graduation presents, Christmas presents and the list goes on.”
Jones has been producing shell bags for Operation Game Thief as well as bird bags for the Texas Dove Hunters Association for the last few years.
After an impressive start, things eventually went south for Mystery Tackle Box, d/b/a Catch Co. After talks of financial problems and bankruptcy, the subscription fishing tackle service was sold to Gordon Brothers through an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors earlier this year.
The assignment is defined by the American Bar Association as a business liquidation device available to an insolvent debtor as an alternative to formal bankruptcy proceedings. Gordon Brothers is a liquidation and restructuring firm in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ross Gordon (no relation to Gordon Brothers), the founder of Mystery Tackle Box, posted a lengthy message to subscribers on Feb. 12. He said the company started with an initial investment of $150,000 in 2012, and the subscription service grew to 10,000 subscribers and $2.5 million in sales within three years. In 2021, at its highest point, it had 147,000 subscribers, according to Gordon.
Gordon cited several causes for the company’s downfall, especially cash flow issues, supply chain issues with products from China which were impacted by the pandemic, and increased costs. Once problems devel-
Late winter and early spring is a prime time for those seeking a trophy-class speckled trout in the Laguna Madre. For Clifton Kettler, walking in and wading in poor weather conditions paid off.
Kettler, a regular on the Corpus Christi Bay system that includes four bays — Corpus Christi, Nueces, Oso and Redfish, and a friend were wade-fishing when he caught his best trout.
“The weather was horrible,” Kettler said. “The wind was out of the north at about 30 miles per hour and it was very cold. That’s not exactly the best water to be fishing for big trout, but we went anyway. We drove up to a boat ramp parking area, got out and walked into the water. It was a lot easier than hauling one of our boats down there.”
The fishing wasn’t that great. On the day, Kettner caught two trout. One was small. The other weighed 8.93 pounds and was 32 1/4 inches long with an 18inch girth.
“That trout was my personnel best,” he said. “I caught that trout at about 10 a.m. She hit a lemon-colored Soft-Dine XL. We were in about 3 feet of water. We actually fished from 6:30 a.m. until 10:30. It was a slow fishing day, but in the end I caught the big trout. After a few pictures we released her.”
The pair was fishing on a shallow sand bar that had a pocket at one end. A fair number of mullet were on the bar, attracting the trout.
Kettler said the Soft-Dines are good because they look like a mullet and can be fished in cold water on a slow retrieve, or in warmer water on a sunny day with a faster retrieve. Three of the best colors are lemon drop, pearl/chartreuse back and pearl/black back.
“They are some of my best trout producing baits,” Kettler said.
oped, pre-purchased inventory orders were canceled and retailers canceled purchase orders, all resulting in a lack of access to venture capital markets.
“In order to support a clean wind-down, avoid a full-blown liquidation by our bank, and the best chance for a future life for our brands, particularly Mystery Tackle Box, we pursued the sale of our assets to a new entity through an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors, which was a cheaper and more manageable alternative to bankruptcy for a company of our size,” Gordon said. “In early February our assets were purchased from the ABC in hopes that the buyer will find a
way to continue our strongest brands. This is a painful ending for many of those who supported us for so long. I’m not sure how I will come to terms with the fact that the sale of our company will result in many vendors, with whom we’ve worked for years and built amazing relationships, not receiving money we owe them, and the downstream impacts of that on their own businesses and families.”
The Mystery Tackle Box website is still operational, and claims boxes are being sold and product is being delivered. Gordon Brothers has not indicated whether or how long that will continue.
Fishing off the two rocky structures in eastern Cameron and Willacy counties is an unpredictable affair, as no one knows what the Gulf waters will bring.
While many anglers head offshore for red snapper, ling and dorado or stay inshore pursuing speckled trout and red or black drum, others make a walk down the jetty, looking for whatever bites.
While some drum and trout are caught, these fishermen usually hope for smaller fish like whiting and sand trout.
Often, it’s the menacing piggy perch that steals a bait as soon as it hits the water. Other times it’s the hardhead catfish that some anglers despise, particularly after getting stung by one that can make a person wince in pain for minutes, if not hours. A stingray here and there causes excitement, but often results in a disappointment after a short, hard fight. But that is part of fishing off a jetty.
Brownsville resident Isidro Morales went fishing off the South Padre Island north jetty and caught a fish he has not caught there in years.
It was a 31-inch black drum that he thought was either a large sheepshead or a bull red.
“It put up a fight,” he said. “I thought it was going to snap the line.”
Earlier, Morales caught a whiting that looked like a small redfish.
“I fish almost every day,” Morales said, after pulling up his last of four whiting. “Here you never know what you are going to get.”
Alan Connaly, a Canadian from Quebec Province, stopped after he ran out of live shrimp.
Connaly said he went surf fishing the previous day on the north side of the island where he caught
a couple of reds and some whiting.
Other anglers said they fished off the south jetty in Port Mansfield and came back with several redfish and sheepshead.
“It took us about an hour to get there,” one of them said about the 30-mile ride from the Island to Port Mansfield. “It was kind of far but it was worth it.”
Nearby, another angler was bragging and showing off his catch from the jetty — three Spanish mackerel he had in the bottom of a red cooler.
That’s jetty fishing — you never know what might be at the end of the line.
Lone Star outdoor newS
Changes to bag and size limits for spotted seatrout will go into effect March 26 across the Texas coast. The new statewide changes consist of the following:
• Three fish daily bag limit per angler
• A minimum size of 15 inches and a maximum size limit of 20 inches
• One oversized trout greater than 30 inches allowed as part of daily bag limit
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted these changes at its January meeting.
An additional proposed change would prevent anglers from keeping fish greater than 30 inches as part of a daily bag limit until a tag system is implemented in the next license year, beginning Sept. 1.
This tag would allow anglers to harvest one spotted seatrout greater than 30 inches with the purchase of a saltwater fishing license or endorsement. In addition, the proposed rule would also implement a $3 Bonus Spotted Seatrout Tag and a $3 Exempt Angler Tag (for individuals who, by law, are exempted from license requirements) that would allow for the retention of one oversize spotted seatrout per license year.
The comment portal will be publicly accessible through 5 p.m. March 27.
Anglers throughout Texas established fishing records, including a giant alligator gar and a record striped mullet, through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Angler Recognition Program in 2023. And 6-year-old Ernst Toepfer V became the youngest Elite Angler in program history.
Toepfer earned his Saltwater Elite Angler Award certificate by accumulating Big Fish awards for five saltwater qualifying species. He landed a 21.75-inch sheepshead, 22.75-inch black drum, 21.25-inch ladyfish, 21-inch spotted seatrout and a 14.88-inch sand seatrout. He frequently fished with his father, Ernst Toepfer IV, and grandfather, Ernst Toepfer III. “I always enjoy receiving applications from Ernst,” said Grace Simms, TPWD Angler Recognition Program coordinator. “Sometimes his grandad will call me to tell me about the latest fishing story from their family fishing adventures, and it always makes my day.”
In 2023, anglers received more than 1,032 official records or awards for their catch. Anglers set a combined 73 new state records and 666 waterbody records during the calendar year. State and waterbody records are awarded in overall and junior angler categories for public and private freshwater fisheries along with saltwater fisheries in the state. The program also officially recognized 444 Big Fish, 81 First Fish and 190 Outstanding Angler awards.
Other notable catches entered:
• Cathy Johnson caught a short bigeye Sept. 12 in the Gulf of Mexico that weighed 3.3 pounds and measured 18.5 inches. This interesting looking fish earned Johnson a state and water body record.
• Nine-year-old Maggy Sojourner caught a blue catfish on Jan. 22 at Lake Granbury. The fish weighed 26.37 pounds and earned Maggy a junior waterbody record and an Outstanding Angler Award.
• Paul Hefner caught a 90-inch, 207-pound alligator gar April 13 at Lake Corpus Christi. He earned a Big Fish Award and a waterbody record.
• Thomas Valadez earned an array of awards and records for his striped mullet caught with rod and reel March 15 out of a private water body. The fish weighed 14.10 pounds and measured 30 inches. This catch earned Thomas a state record, waterbody record, First Fish Award and an Outstanding Angler Award.
• Erin French caught a red drum April 27 in the Freeport Bay Area. The fish was 38 inches and earned a Big Fish Award and a Water Body Catch and Release Record.
—TPWD
Two anglers were injured in a boat accident on Sam Rayburn Reservoir March 8.
The early morning accident occurred during the first day of competition in the Brandon Belt’s Grand Slam Charity Tournament at the lake. The boat struck Rattlesnake Island on the lake. According to other anglers, navigation was difficult due to early morning fog and low light visibility. The boat was catapulted onto the rocks and came down on one of the anglers.
The Sam Rayburn Volunteer Fire Department transported the two men ashore, and both were taken by ambulance to the Christus Jasper Memorial Hospital, one in critical condition. Updated reports on the boat operator and passenger indicated both men have been released and are expected to recover.
—Staff report
ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 53 degrees; 4.37’ low. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
AMISTAD: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 66.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, jigs, crankbaits and wacky-rigged worms. White bass are good on lipless crankbaits, spoons and blade baits. Stripers are slow.
ARLINGTON: Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, creature baits and jigs.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 8.19’ low. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
ATHENS: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.49’ low. Largemouth bass are good on worms, crankbaits, jigs and chatter baits. Crappie are fair on minnows.
AUSTIN: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.75’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms, flukes and small swimbaits.
B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.52’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits.
BASTROP: Water stained; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on creature baits, crankbaits, worms, top-waters and glide baits.
BELTON: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 12.20’ low. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on fresh gizzard shad and cut bait.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 64 degrees; 1.81’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.39’ high. Largemouth bass are good on weightless skinny dippers, chatter baits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
BRAUNIG: Water stained, 63 degrees. Red drum are fair on cut bait and crawfishscented baits. Catfish are fair on cheese bait, liver and frozen shrimp.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 60 degrees; 8.68’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jerkbaits, chatter baits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on crankbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits.
BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 25.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on craw worms, flukes, spinner baits, shallow crankbaits and jigs. Striped bass are good on live bait and jigging spoons. White bass are good
on jigging spoons and trolling crankbaits. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs.
CADDO: Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.24’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on flukes, chatter baits, lipless crankbaits and swim jigs.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained, 65 degrees. Red drum are fair on frozen shrimp, cut bait and crawfishscented baits. Catfish are fair on cheese bait, frozen shrimp and liver.
CANYON: Water clear to lightly stained; 63 degrees; 21.56’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, chatter baits and swimbaits.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.14’ low. White bass and hybrids are fair on jigs and slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 28.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, swimbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait and cut bait.
COMANCHE CREEK: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and soft plastics. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut bait.
CONROE: Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.04’ high. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastics. Crappie are slow. Hybrids are fair on swimbaits, live bait and jigging slabs. Catfish are good on liver, worms, minnows and punch bait.
COOPER: Water clear; 60 degrees; 1.00’ low. Catfish are good on cut shad.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 60 degrees; 8.33’ low. Freshwater drum are good on worms and minnows. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Alligator gar are good on cut carp. Catfish are good on worms, punch bait and cut carp.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.69’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait and shad.
FAL-
CON: Water stained; 70 degrees; 33.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on fresh cut shad, carp or tilapia.
top-waters, chatter baits, spinner baits and senkos. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
FT PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 63 degrees; 6.64’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and moving baits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
GRANBURY: Water clear; 62 degrees; 0.14’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Striped bass are slow.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.79’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and jigs. Crappie are slow. White bass are good on bladed jigs. Catfish are good on jug lines baited with Zote Soap.
GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 60 degrees; 0.91’ low. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on shad.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 69 degrees; 0.19’ high. Largemouth bass are good on wacky worms, weightless Texas rigs, yum dingers and swim jigs. Crappie are good on minnows.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 64 degrees; 11.95’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
JOE POOL: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.92’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, moving baits, Texas rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.27’ high. Largemouth bass are good on on weightless skinny dippers, chatter baits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Sand bass are good on roadrunners. Catfish are good on cut bait.
FAYETTE: Water stained; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, worms, jigs, shaky heads and drop shots.
FORK: Water stained; 61 degrees; 0.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 0.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms, creature baits, swimbaits and smaller Alabama rigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Sand bass are good on spinners and small jigs. Hybrid stripers are good on soft plastics. Catfish are good on cut shad or sunfish on a Santee rig.
LBJ: Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.27’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, flukes and wake baits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait.
LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 0.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair
on spinner baits and wackyrigged senkos. White bass are fair on slabs, jigs and live bait. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs and jigs. Crappie are fair on flutter spoons, roadrunners and small shad swimbaits. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
LIMESTONE: Water stained; 69 degrees; 0.01’ high. Largemouth bass are good on swim jigs, Texas rigs, spinner baits and chatter baits. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on silver jigging spoons. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.16’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, creature baits and top-water frogs. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait, liver and punch bait.
MARTIN CREEK: Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on wacky-rigged worms and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, cut bait and live bait.
MER-
EDITH: Water stained; 46 degrees; 45.29’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows and artificials. White bass are good on minnows and slabs. Walleye are good on minnows and grubs. Catfish are fair on crawlers, minnows, chicken liver, and frozen shad.
are fair on shrimp, cut shad and earthworms.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 16.08’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Alabama rigs and small swimbaits.
PALESTINE: Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.16’ high. Largemouth bass are good on plastics. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Yellow bass are fair on small jigs, spinners and minnows.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 58 degrees; 0.27’ low. Striped bass are on fair to good swimbaits and Alabama rigs. Sand bass are fair on small slabs and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.
PROCTOR: Water stained; 60 degrees; 12.70’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics.
RAVEN: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on artificial worms, chatter baits and top-water frogs. Crappie are good on crappie bites, jigs and minnows.
RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.02’ low. White bass are good on a slabjig combo.
Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cut shad.
RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 0.43’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, Carolina rigs, chatter baits and senkos. Crappie are fair on beetle spins, rooster tails, and jigs.
NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; full pool. Largemouth bass are good on weightless flukes and other shad imitations. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water slightly stained; 61 degrees. 0.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on red chatter baits and flipping soft plastics. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait.
NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.27’ high. White bass are fair on minnows and jigs. Crappie are good on black and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
O H IVIE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 31.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and chatter baits. White bass are good on crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 58 degrees; 0.06’ high. White bass and hybrid stripers are fair on slabs and jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on punch bait, shad and cut bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 64 degrees; 4.43’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on roadrunners and small rattletraps. Catfish are good on cut bait.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Hybrids are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on stink bait, shad and cut bait.
SPENCE: Water stained; 60 degrees. 47.43’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and swim jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 63 degrees; 17.01’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and bladed baits.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.48’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and
n Saltwater reports Page 15
moving baits. Hybrid striper and white bass are fair on swimbaits and slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait, prepared baits and punch bait.
TEXOMA: Water stained; 57 degrees; 1.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits. Striped bass are good on shad, swimbaits and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are slow.
TOLEDO BEND: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 2.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on wacky worms, senkos, Carolina rigs, crankbaits and frogs. Crappie are good on jigs, roadrunners and minnows.
TRAVIS: Water stained; 60 degrees; 49.52’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, worms, and drop shots.
TWIN BUTTES: Water stained; 65 degrees; 32.62’ low. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are good on jigging spoons and spinnerbaits. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, cheese bait and shad.
WACO: Water stained; 58 degrees; 1.01’ high. Crappie are good on jigs.
WALTER E LONG: Water stained; 69 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on finesse baits.
WELSH: Water stained; 63 degrees, 69 degrees in the discharge. Largemouth bass are good on creature baits and crankbaits.
WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 1.08’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and moving baits. Striped bass are fair on live bait and jigs. Crappie are fair on small jigs and minnows. White bass are good on jigs and spinners. Catfish are good on cut drum or shad.
WORTH: Water stained; 60 degrees; 3.06’ low. White bass are good on jigs and spinners. Crappie are good on jigs and spinner. Catfish are fair on shad and punch bait.
WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 58 degrees; 4.61’ high. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
Continued from page 1
multiple fish back-to-back, and even after changing spots, G-Ma had a fish.”
Because students are on break from school, Morrison said his 7-year-old son was able to experience the magic of this trip.
“The outdoors is a great way to connect with my son because life and schedules can be crazy back home,” Morrison said. “Being able to watch him grow and develop in his skill and appreciation for the outdoors — it just doesn’t get any better.”
Meanwhile, 3G Fishing Charters also had spring break success within the Galvestonarea waters said owner, Matt Garner.
“Spring break is the best time to get the family all together and as a family-owned and operated business, that is our goal,” Garner said.
This family charter has existed for 20 years or so and has won numerous tournament awards for flounder, redfish, cobia and more.
“Galveston is a big tourist destination during this time of year,” Garner said. “We are currently running four boats and averaging four to six charters a day.”
Garner explained that due to the cool water, there is a particular fish they normally do not catch this time of year, but this spring break, they beat all odds.
“We caught a hammerhead shark we estimated between 125 and 150 pounds,” Garner said. “They normally appear in warmer temperatures, so this was a rare situation.”
The majority of the spring break trips include children and Garner said it’s great because it gives them an opportunity to not have to worry about school and just have fun fishing.
Both Morrison and Garner confirmed spring break to be the best time to go fishing with your friends and family.
“This was our second year in a row to do this, Morrison said, “So I definitely think if our schedule permits, this could be our spring break tradition.”
Continued from page 1
cork along the mouths of bayous and inside shallow back lakes. Some of the flounder have been pushing 20 inches or more, while the reds have tended to be on the smaller side.
“You can catch some mid-slot redfish, but there are also a lot that are just under 20 inches in length right now,” Battistoni said. “Areas with the highest concentrations of baitfish have been producing the best. The fish are somewhat scattered and in a transition period, and you just have to cover some water and go fishing.”
In the Matagorda area, Capt. River Jack Ryman has been focusing his efforts in East Matagorda Bay, where he said the action has been hit-or-miss.
“The fish are definitely in a transition period and scattered,” Ryman said. “You can catch them in an area one day, and go back the next to find they have moved.”
Ryman has been mainly drift-fishing with his clients over mid bay oyster reefs along the western portion of East Matty. Live shrimp under a popping cork has been producing mixed catches of speckled trout and redfish of all sizes for him and his anglers.
“There’s a lot of small fish out there right now, but you can still find some quality fish if you’re willing to stick with it,” Ryman said. “We’ve also been seeing quite a few large black drum caught over oyster shell reefs, alongside the trout and redfish.”
Ryman said there have been decent numbers of scattered flounder along drains and the mouths of bayous leading to and from marshes and back lakes. Most of these fish have been willing to strike soft plastics bounced along the bottom.
Matthew Valadez, a Rockport area guide, said it has been tough to stay dialed in on what the fish want to eat and where they want to be.
“We are catching a lot of fish still, but we are having to adjust our tactics and where we are fishing, almost on a daily basis,” he said. “There’s also been a ton of undersized fish biting.”
Valadez has been targeting flats with a mixture of sand and grass in about a foot of water near spoil islands. Guts adjacent to these areas have been holding quite a few redfish. Valadez said most of the black drum have pushed into the back lakes, but he’s catching a few mixed in with the redfish.
“Targeting flats near the edges of channels and passes has been the key,” Valadez said.
On South Padre Island, Capt. Glenn Harrison said there are a lot of fish to be caught, depending on what species anglers want to target and the approach they want to take.
“The speckled trout bite has been consistent on soft plastic jigs in 2 to 3 feet of water along color changes,” Harrison said. “You can catch a ton of fish drifting these color changes, you just have to be prepared to weed through the smaller, undersized trout in order to catch some in the 15- to 18-inch range.”
Harrison said there are bigger trout cruising along shallow flats in 1.5 feet of water or less, and fluke-style soft plastics rigged weedless and weightless have been drawing the most strikes while sight-casting to those fish.
“The redfish action has also been fairly steady along the west side of the Lower Laguna Madre on soft plastics and top-water baits,” Harrison said. “The redfish have been concentrating over grass flats with scattered potholes.”
South Bay channel and stretches of stained water along the east side of the ICW have been holding good numbers of black drum, Harrison said. Fresh dead shrimp fished along the bottom are enticing the bites.
STOLEN VEHICLE DUMPED DOWN BOAT RAMP
Bowie County game wardens responded to a call regarding a submerged vehicle in the Sulfur River. The Bowie County Dive Team coordinated with wardens to recover the empty vehicle from the water. With an investigation underway, game wardens and the local sheriff’s office have determined the vehicle was stolen in Hempstead County, Arkansas. After making the trip to Texas, it was likely disposed of down the boat ramp when the river crested. Once the water receded, locals found the sunken vehicle just a couple of hundred feet down river from the boat ramp.
LARGE SNAPPER CAME FROM FED WATERS
Jefferson County game wardens stopped a fishing boat as it returned to port at Sabine Pass. The wardens found the five fishermen aboard the vessel to be in possession of 15 very large red snapper. Evidence found on board suggested that the fish were caught in federal waters, which were closed to the recreational harvest of red snapper at the time. A brief interview with the captain of the vessel confirmed the wardens’ suspicions. State citations were issued to the fishermen for catching and keeping the red snapper. The fish were seized and donated.
LARGEST LONGVIEW KID FISH EVER
Gregg County Game Warden Todd Long, along with Harrison County wardens Matt Childress and Scott Robertson, assisted the City of Longview with the Ricky Borden Memorial Kid Fish Derby at Teague Park. A close friend of local wardens, Ricky Borden believed all kids deserved access to fishing opportunities, he mentored and sponsored the Longview Kid Fish for many years. This year, more than 500 kids and their families participated. Ahead of the event, the Inland Fisheries Marshall District stocked the lake with 2,000 trout and supplied about 65 fishing rods and reels to loan to kids during the event.
JAVELINA BITES DOG
At Choke Canyon State Park at about 10 a.m., a maintenance supervisor was notified that a visitor’s dog was bitten by a javelina. The supervisor responded, and the owner said he was taking one of his two dogs out of the RV, when the other dog, which was off leash, ran out from behind him and ran to the javelina that were near another campsite. When the dog got to the javelina, one of them turned and bit the dog on the right rear hip. The dog was not bleeding from or favoring the wounded area. The owner said he thought the dog was fine, but he might take the dog to be looked at by a veterinarian.
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Texas game wardens, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted four lancha crews and seized about 1,250 pounds of illegally caught red snapper from the Gulf of Mexico on March 5. Boat crews from Coast Guard Station-South Padre Island, CBP Air and Marine Operations and TPWD, in coordination with Coast Guard Air Station-Corpus Christi aircrews, located and stopped a total of 19 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing aboard lanchas north of the U.S. boundary. After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 220 pounds of red snapper in addition to fishing gear and high flyers on board the vessels. Coast Guard crews detained the fishermen, brought them ashore and transferred the crews to CBP personnel for further processing. “Texas Game Wardens are proud of the partnerships we have with agencies like the USCG and CBP Air and Marine Operations,” said Texas Game Warden Captain Chris Dowdy.
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Inspira ISX also boasts Okuma’s Proprietary Flite Drive system that enhances gear stability and smoothness. It features a multi-disc carbonite and stainless-steel drag washer system, 8BB+1RB stainless steel bearings, and a Quick-Set antireverse roller bearing that enables quick and easy hooksets.
Starting at 7.1 ounces, the Inspira ISX puts out up to 24-lbs. of maximum drag. An oversized HDG-II main gear with a machine-cut brass pinion gear ensures supreme reliability. The reel also utilizes a machined aluminum screw-in handle design and lightweight, TPE handle knobs for maximum comfort while out on the water. The reel showcases an extra-light, machined aluminum, braided line-ready spool equipped with a rubber spool band to prevent line slippage. A heavy-duty, solid aluminum bail wire ensures smooth line management and casting performance.
There are four total high-speed models within the Inspira ISX lineup of spinning reels. The 2000 and 3000 sizes all feature 6.0:1 standard gear ratio, while the 4000 and 5000 models feature a 6.2:1 gear ratio.
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WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.
The time has come. You’ve always wanted one, but it was never in the cards. Now you’re willing to bite the bullet.
You’re buying a new boat.
You’ve worked hard for years, maybe decades. Your career is established and items like family, housing and vehicles are settled. You even have the place to store it.
It’s time to pull the trigger, even though you know the price tag may be more than your first house.
A few years ago, you noticed new boats were few and far between. That has changed. According to the National Marine Manufacturers Association, inventories are back up as boat sales cooled slightly from the pandemic-induced frenzy, and manufacturers have caught up. Boats are available, some coming with promotions and discounts.
You’re a member of a bass club and regularly fish tournaments. You’re intrigued by Skeeter’s available incentive programs that pay anglers for placing, even in smaller, local or regional events with as few as 30 total anglers; and with interest rates up, the financing and/or discount promotions that end March 31.
There are a host of decisions to be made, beyond whether to go fiberglass vs. aluminum, or two-stroke vs. four-stroke.
From outboard horsepower to Power-Poles and batteries, you’ve done your homework.
And then there are the electronics. You’re going all in, and you’ve factored in the cost of forward facing sonar and the lithium battery to go with it to make sure you can keep fishing all day.
Now, you’re headed to the dealer to make a decision. Your nearly lifelong goal is being achieved.
You’re getting that new boat.
There are a lot of choices when it comes to buying a fishing rod, and my aging collection was ready for an update. There is a made-inTexas rod company mak ing some waves in the rod building industry, and I went to their office in Dal las to take a look.
Manager Collins Illich showed me around the Sawgrass warehouse and put five different rods in my hand. The first rod re minded me of a favorite, with super strength in the backbone and a sensitive, light tip. I commented it felt exactly like my old G. Loomis GLX. Illich had a big smile on his face.
“Just keep looking and let me show you some more rods,” he said.
Later, I was out the door with a few new additions to my collection, and I couldn’t wait to cast one of them.
The first one I picked up was a Bois D’Arc 7‘3“ ML (medium light action) Spinning Rod ($499.95), and I spooled it with 12-pound mono. On the second cast on a West Texas pond, I hooked and landed my first bass. After two hours of fishing, I had landed 14 bass and one bluegill, caught on various weights and sizes of lures.
I threw a heavy buzzbait, an ultralight stick bait and a small spinner bait — all into a 1520 mph wind with no issues.
The smaller stick bait and spinner bait were working the best in the farm pond as the bass were slow with their strike, as the water is still very cool in West Texas. Of the 14 bass, seven of them were 6-8 inches long, and I could feel them hit with the same sensation as if you were using braided line because of the super sensitive light action of the rod. With the larger fish, I had plenty of backbone to horse them in.
Bois D’Arc bass rods are made with North Fork Composites HM blanks, REC components and premium cork. You will know if it’s grass, if you are coming through hardwoods, or if it’s a fish. The rods are covered by Sawgrass’ limited lifetime warranty.
Illich has found his calling with this new rod company. You can order the rods online at sawgrassrods.com or go by their shop for happy hour on the second Thursday of each month. They have plenty of beer and you can handle all the rods they offer for sale.
Mark your calendar for Memorial Day weekend, beginning Friday, May 24. The 2024 Young Farmers Fishing Tournament is coming back to Port Mansfield, so get your gear ready for the annual event held that awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to graduating high school students from Willacy County and to a number of nonprofit organizations.
Other proceeds from the annual event go to youngsters and teenagers who enter show animals in the local Livestock Show and Fair. Last year, more than $7,800 was distributed as add-ons to the nearly 180 students who participated in the premium sale. The tournament, which began 40 years ago, includes three categories — the Piggy, Bay and Offshore divisions. There also will be a live and a silent auction, an award ceremony, music and plenty of camaraderie.
Email johnj_butler@yahoo.com for more information or keep an eye on the Willacy County Young Farmers Facebook page for a link to get signed up.
WILLACY COUNTY YOUNG FARMERS
FACEBOOK.COM/P/WILLACYCOUNTY-YOUNG-FARMERS
Tropic Star Lodge, nestled in the pristine Darien jungle of Piñas Bay, Panama, stands as a beacon for anglers seeking the ultimate fishing adventure. Celebrated for hosting more IGFA fishing world records than any other resort, its location, a mere 150 miles southeast of Panama City, offers direct access to some of the world’s most fertile fishing grounds, with the Zane Grey reef just 20 minutes away.
This remote paradise is famed for its rich variety of game fish, including black marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, dorado, roosterfish, yellowfin tuna and cubera snapper, attracting enthusiasts globally.
Beyond the unparalleled fishing, Tropic Star Lodge offers a luxurious escape, with accommodations ranging from classic double-occupancy rooms to fourbedroom villas, offering stunning modern architecture and breathtaking views. The resort’s culinary delights promise a journey from the Bayview Restaurant to the casual Marlin Bar and the enchanting Jungle Pool.
Tropic Star is privately owned, with a dedicated team taking care of every aspect of your trip, making a visit to the lodge a highly personal and memorable experience.
Tropic Star is and always will be a fishing destination, but beyond that — it’s an invitation to immerse in a world of adventure and relaxation. The lodge’s rich history, shore-side activities, and Rainforest Spa provide a harmonious blend of excitement and tranquility, ensuring that every guest experiences the essence of paradise. Whether it’s the thrill of the catch, the allure of the jungle, or the simple joy of luxury in a remote setting, Tropic Star Lodge delivers an unmatched adventure that starts the moment you arrive.
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TROPIC STAR LODGE HAS BEEN PROVIDING ANGLERS WITH WORLD-CLASS FISHING ADVENTURES SINCE 1963. OVER 60 YEARS OF ROD-BENDING, RECORD-BREAKING, & THRILL-SEEKING SHARED WITH AVID ANGLERS LIKE YOU.
Located in Piñas Bay, Panama , Tropic Star Lodge is a full-service fishing resort that caters to anglers of all skill levels. With a world-class team, an impressive fleet, and a luxurious resort offering - it is an ideal spot for intensive fishing expeditions, family getaways, special milestone celebrations, or the pursuit of your next record catch.
With 3 seasons from November - September , anglers head to Tropic Star for coveted trophy fish such as Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, & Monster Dorado amongst other offshore species, as well as 15+ inshore species, including Roosterfish, Cubera Snapper and Bluefin Trevally.
Visit us Jan - Feb for highly targeted Black Marlin fishing, March - May for massive inshore variety, and June - September / November - December for the best of both inshore and offshore fishing, depending on your species wish list.
ONE TRIP TO CATCH THEM ALL! START PLANNING YOUR TROPIC STAR ADVENTURE TODAY.
CONTACT US ON BOOK@TROPICSTAR.NET OR 800-682-3424 OR BY CREATING A TRIP PLAN ON OUR WEBSITE AT TROPICSTAR.COM
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history and heritage of Skeeter Boats. For over 75 years, generations of anglers have trusted Skeeter for their best fishing memories. Our production process uses advanced manufacturing techniques and materials, many of which were first used in aerospace applications. Skeeter’s X-Treme and EX-Cell composite construction ensure a smooth, dry and safe trip to your favorite fishing hole.
Skeeter’s goal, to build boats that are engineered like no other, permeates everything we do — from our design and manufacturing methods to the courtesy we extend each time you walk into a dealership. From no-corners-cut construction all the way to the winner’s circle, Skeeter’s pursuit of perfection is evident in the bestengineered bass boats on the water today.
“I make my living on the water and for my entire professional career I have trusted Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards to help me achieve success,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro and two-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year Brandon Palaniuk. “My Skeeter is engineered for performance.”
At Skeeter, our focus is on our customer. With 22 consecutive National Marine Manufacturer’s Association (NMMA) Customer Service awards to our credit, no matter if you are fishing a tournament, fishing for fun or taking the family out for the day to ski and swim, our focus is on you.
Skeeter was the name on the first US Coast Guard-approved bass boat. Many other industry firsts include the first V-Hull pad design, the first Sponson hull concept, the first production bass boat and much more. At Skeeter we boast a full line of bass boats from our 18’ and 19’ models in the ZX line, to our most popular ZXR models to our top-of-the line FXR Apex and limited models, we have your bass boat needs met.
The Deep-V Line includes boats for fishing and play. While our WX and WXR lines are your work-hard boats, designed for the roughest of waters and fishing conditions, our Solera models give you the flexibility to play a little more when the fishing day is done.
Finally, the Skeeter saltwater lineup of center console bay boats are easily the bestriding bay boats on the market. With models from 21’ to 24’6” we have you covered for all your inshore and close-to-shore offshore fishing needs.
With the new model year approaching this summer, at Skeeter we have plans to update many of the current models you see on our dealer’s showroom floor or out on the water, and continue our tradition of building boats that are engineered like no other to the next level.
To learn more about Skeeter boats, you can log on to Skeeterboats.com or scan the QR Code. Follow us on all major social media platforms as well.
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Thirteen largemouth bass weighing more than 13 pounds were registered with the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in its ShareLunker program as of March 15.
Most of the lunkers were caught after the fish were spotted using forward facing sonar, including the largemouth caught by 11-year-old Stetson Davis, of Tuttle, Oklahoma, who landed a 13.31-pound largemouth, topping the junior angler waterbody record for largemouth bass by more than 5 pounds. Davis joined his father, Brodey, who landed a 17.06-pounder from O.H. Ivie in 2022, in the record books.
Some new lakes joined the party this year, with J.B. Thomas Reservoir, in Scurry County, Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir near Abilene and Inks Lake in the Hill Country producing 13-pound-plus lunkers.
Lawrence Lee of Temple reeled in ShareLunker 651 on Jan. 17 to kick off the 2024 collection season and became the first ever Legacy Class fish from J.B. Thomas. It registered 13.79 pounds, measured 24.25 inches and set a new waterbody record for largemouth bass.
Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir, just north of Abilene, joined the list of public reservoirs in Texas that have produced a Legacy Class ShareLunker largemouth bass. Eric Lewis of Haskell reeled in 13.33-pound ShareLunker 660 Sunday as Fort Phantom Hill became the 77th public waterbody to achieve that feat.
Lewis didn’t rely on forward facing sonar to spot his fish.
“I was just simply pitching and flipping like everyone knows how to do,” he said.
2024 lunkers: March 11 Larry Walker Irving
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SAN ANTONIO BAY: 65 degrees. Speckled trout are good over shell and mud on soft plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the back lakes and along the shorelines on gold spoons and shrimp.
SABINE LAKE: 65 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork over rock piles in the ICW. Speckled trout are good on the North Levee wall with a popping cork over live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish and black drum are fair in the Sabine Channel on live shrimp under a popping cork.
BOLIVAR: 60 degrees. Black drum are good on shrimp in the surf and the outside of the North Jetty rocks. Redfish are good on Carolinarigged mullet, shad and crab on channel side of North Jetty. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp along North Jetty rocks.
TRINITY BAY: 67 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics. Redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 67 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp over reefs and near the shorelines. Redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp near the marsh and bayou drains.
GALVESTON BAY: 68 degrees. Sheepshead are fair on live shrimp on the bottom. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp along South Jetty. Bull reds are schooling in open water.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: 68 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and suspending
der a popping cork. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics and shrimp under a popping cork. Flounder are fair on mullet and live shrimp.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 62 degrees. Black drum and redfish are good on live shrimp near reefs and shorelines. Speckled trout are slow.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 62 degrees. Speckled trout are slow. Black drum and redfish are good on live shrimp.
PORT O’CONNOR: 60 degrees. Bull redfish are good on Spanish sardines. Slot redfish are slow. Speckled trout are slow. Sheepshead are good at the jetties on dead or live shrimp.
ROCKPORT: 63 degrees. Redfish and black drum are good on shrimp or cut mullet. Speckled trout are good on a popping cork with live shrimp or soft plastics.
PORT ARANSAS: 63 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut mullet.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 66 degrees. Redfish are good on sardines and live shrimp under a popping cork. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp off the bottom. Speckled trout are slow.
BAFFIN BAY: 73 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics, top-waters and slow-slinking and suspending twitch baits. Black drum are good on peeled shrimp and crab.
PORT MANSFIELD: 71 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on top-waters, soft plastics and slow-sinking and suspending twitch baits.
The land isn’t just made for working. It’s ripe for playing, too. Everybody needs that balance. Whether you’re a hunter, fisherman, four-wheeler or simply a nature lover, there’s land all around suited for those pursuits. There’s also one lender who specializes in helping people obtain such land. At Capital Farm Credit, we’re here for you, to offer guidance and expertise in securing recreational land with flexible terms and competitive rates. Because we want you to be just as content with your loan as you are with your new land. To learn more, visit CapitalFarmCredit.com.
G9 Defense, maker of defensive ammunition, hired marketing and communications agency Harris Global Marketing and Communications.
The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action named Joseph Greenlee as director of the office of litigation counsel.
Outdoor Sportsman Group named Mike Carney as the new president and chief executive officer.
Dickinson Arms retained Full-Throttle Communications as its marketing and public relations agency.
ThermaSeat named Samantha Pillsbury as its new national sales manager.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment appointed Steve Smith as president of KSE Media Ventures.
Husky Liners hired Idea Ranch as its marketing agency of record.
Gill North America, Inc. retained Pioneer Outdoor Group for sales and marketing in the western regions of the United States.
Tethrd LLC appointed Dan Chumbler as its new chief executive officer.
Nosler, Inc. promoted Mason Payer to brand marketing director, John Nason to director of business development and Madi Woodward to marketing manager.
A deer favorite
22) Rangefinder brand
23) Thermal optics brand
24) The red tractor
27) Sinker type
28) Shotgun brand
30) Invasive fish with spines
31) A Texas peak
35) One of the cats
36) Ammo brand
37) Texas mountain range
41) Shot size used by goose hunters
42) Hill Country river
1 wild turkey breast
1 box Stovetop stuffing
Dinner rolls
1 small can cranberry sauce (12-14 oz.)
Mayo Potatoes
Sour cream
Fresh sage
Salt
Garlic powder
Butter
Boil potatoes and mash with butter, sour cream and salt. Keep warm. Prepare Stovetop stuffing according to directions on box. Grind turkey breast with a medium to coarse plate. Season with salt and garlic powder. Add fresh minced sage to taste. Mix ground turkey and stuffing at a ratio of 3:1. Combine cranberry sauce with mayo and stir to preferred blend. Form small burger patties with turkey and fry in well-oiled skillet until done. Smear mashed potatoes on bottom half of a dinner roll, and cranberry mayo on top. Smash fried wild turkey burger in between buns.
—NWTF
2 lbs. blackfin tuna loin
1 cup coarse sea salt
2 tbsps. black peppercorns, crushed
2 tbsp. juniper berries, crushed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup whiskey
1 satsuma, sliced into thin wheels
Pat tuna loin dry with paper towels. Mix the salt, sugar, peppercorns and juniper berries together in a bowl, then coat all sides of the tuna with the spice mixture. Place tuna in a vacuum-seal bag or large
Ziplock bag, add satsuma slices and whiskey, then seal. Place tuna on a baking pan, add second baking pan on top, and weight it down with a cast iron pan or canned vegetables. Refrigerate the tuna for 48 hours, turning the fish over after 24 hours. When ready to serve, remove tuna from the bag. Using the back of a knife, scrape the cure mixture off the fish and slice thinly. Serve with a hearty toasted rye bread, capers, or pickled onions.
—Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission
MARCH 28
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Crawfish Boil
DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
WHITETAILS UNLIMITED
North Texas Deer Camp Myers Park Show Barn McKinney (512) 657-9943 whitetailsunlimited.com
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
Palo Pinto County Banquet Sheriff’s Posse Building Mineral Wells (940) 452-8430 nwtf.org
MARCH 29
OPERATION GAME THIEF
Houston Clay Stoppers Shootout (800) 792-4263 ogttx.org
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION Palo Pinto Banquet
Palo Pinto Sheriff’s Posse Mineral Wells (940) 452-8430 nwtf.org
APRIL 3
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Texas A&M Kingsville Banquet
Knights of Columbus Hall (830) 391-7300 ducks.org
APRIL 4
QUAIL FOREVER
Lone Star Banquet Grapevine Convention Center quailforever.org
APRIL 5
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
New Braunfels Banquet Reneau Farms (832) 655-3180 rmef.org
APRIL 6
DSC SOUTH TEXAS
Annual Gala Pedrotti’s Ranch, Helotes dscsouthtexas.org
DELTA WATERFOWL
North Texas Dinner Sports Academy at The Star Frisco (903) 806-9117 deltawaterfowl.org
APRIL 7
TECHRON MEGA BASS Lake Fork Marina (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com
APRIL 11
SAN ANTONIO QUAIL COALITION
Annual Banquet Witte Museum quailcoalition.org
APRIL 12
DELTA WATERFOWL
Trinity Valley Banquet Dayton Community Center (936) 641-2040 deltawaterfowl.org
APRIL 13
DSC TEXAS PANHANDLE CHAPTER Amarillo Civic Center (806) 433-5766 panhandledsc.com
WILDLIFE PARTNERS
Super Exotic Wildlife Auction Bevy Hotel, Boerne wlpauction.com
APRIL 18
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION Brazos Valley Banquet Brazos Center, Bryan (979) 220-6139 rmef.org
APRIL 19
WHITETAILS UNLIMITED Brazos Valley Deer Camp Brazos Center, Bryan (512) 657-9943 whitetailsunlimited.com
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Rockwall Dinner Hidden Creek, Heath (972) 757-5357 ducks.org
APRIL 25
OUTDOORS TOMORROW FOUNDATION
Benefit Concert Gilley’s Dallas (817) 410-5054 gootf.com
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Austin Dinner The Lodge at Grace, Buda (320) 808-9453 ducks.org
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION Tri-County Longbeards Banquet Seaton Star Hall, Temple (254) 760-8012 nwtf.org
APRIL 27
DUCKS UNLIMITED Mineral Wells Dinner VFW Hall (940) 452-6728 ducks.org
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION Permian Basin Banquet Bush Convention Center, Midland (432) 889-7565 rmef.org
APRIL 27-28
TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOW Kerrville Expo Hall (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknifeshows.com
Rifle Ammunition – Federal
Rex Remington caught an 8-pound, 4-ounce smallmouth bass on Monroe Lake on March 3, smashing the previous record set in 1992 at Twin Lake in LaGrange County by 1 pound. The fish was released alive back into Monroe Lake.
Monroe Lake, in Monroe County just 10 miles south of Bloomington, is Indiana’s largest reservoir at 10,750 acres. —IDNR
A Tennessee angler fishing Lake Barkley over the weekend caught Kentucky’s new state record yellow perch.
Lynn Bumgardner’s fish weighed 1.58 pounds on a certified scale, eclipsing the old record of 1.44 pounds set in 2010. Bumgardner, of Oliver Springs, Tennessee, caught his fish on the Trigg County side of the lake March 2.
“We were trolling grubs for crappie in Linton Bay on Lake Barkley,” said Bumgardner.
—Staff report
Kody King’s record tiger trout, at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, trounced the previous state record of 4 pounds, 13 ounces, set in 2020. Unfortunately, King did not have a valid fishing license when he caught the fish. After an investigation, the record has been rescinded.
King reported to an Idaho Department of Fish and Game conservation officer that he caught the fish the night before. However, a photo of the catch raised suspicion, as it was clearly taken during daylight hours.
The officer noticed that King purchased a one-day, nonresident license at 2 p.m. the day he claimed he caught the fish. The officer took photos throughout the day at the same location to compare with King’s photo, determining the fish was caught between noon and 1 p.m.
King later admitted to catching the fish and purchasing a license after the fact.
—Staff report
FLORIDA
2023 hunting and shooting equipment sales softened, but still remained well above pre-pandemic levels, and inventories are up, according to a study by Southwick Associates. The survey identified top brands purchased in the market, based on more than 8,500 completed surveys of hunters and shooters conducted through the year.
Some of the most frequently purchased brands in 2023:
Traditional Rifles – Ruger
Shotguns - Beretta
Reloading Powder – Hodgdon
Reloading Components – Hornady & CCI
Binoculars – Bushnell
Reflex/Red Dot Sights – Sig Sauer
Scope/Accessory Mounts – Leupold
Trail Camera – Stealth Cam
Game Calls – Primos
Game Feeder – Game Winner
Holsters/Ammo Belts – Blackhawk
Gun Cleaning – Hoppes
Choke Tubes – Briley
Magazines – Magpul —Southwick Associates
MONTANA
Arthur “Jack” Schubert of Vaughn, Montana, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of trafficking in violation of the Lacey Act.
Schuberth ran a business that sold hybrid Marco Polo argali sheep. He obtained a “part” of a Marco Polo argali killed in Kyrgyzstan, eventually having it cloned. From those cloned embryos, he got a male sheep he named “Montana Mountain King.” The next year, he began harvesting semen from the sheep and selling straws, as well as using them to inseminate other ewes and create hybrid sheep. He sold hybrids listed falsely on export records as New Mexico Dall sheep, New Mexico domestic sheep, and Bighorn x sheep.
Schuberth will be sentenced July 1.
—Staff report
On March 17, Chad Williams, of Olathe, Kansas, snagged and reeled in a 164-pound, 13-ounce paddlefish at Lake of the Ozarks. The fish not only breaks the previous state record of 140 pounds, but also the previous world record of 164 pounds.
“I was lucky enough to get invited to go out snagging with friends,” Williams said. “I’d never been snagging before. Never seen a paddlefish — didn’t even know what it was.”
Shortly into the snagging trip, Williams hooked into something massive.
“I was thinking I was extremely weak because it was taking so long to reel in. My body was aching,” he said.
After the fish made it onto the boat, the group knew it was a record. They later met Missouri Department of Conservation Fisheries and Protection staff at Three Brothers Meat Company in Montreal to weigh the fish on a certified scale.
Williams said he and his wife kept some of the paddlefish meat and shared the rest with their fishing group. He plans to taxidermy the head.
Hunting has always been a part of Jones’ life. He grew up in the Devine area, and his earliest memories of dove and deer hunting took place with his grandfather in South Texas at age 14 or 15.
“I have unforgettable memories from spending time in the outdoors with my grandfather,” Jones said. “He left me his Model 70 Winchester .270 rifle that he bought in 1948. Every time I work on a bird bag, rifle case, or other piece of outdoor gear, I’m able to relive those memories. And I feel like I’m able to pour that passion for the outdoors into every leather product I manufacture.”
Jones is currently finishing up a brand new shop in La Vernia, where all of his manufacturing of leather goods will take place. He hopes that it will become a place that customers will come to visit when they are in the south central Texas area.
Continued
“It’s one thing to set a match,” he said. “But it’s another thing when you’re dealing with large areas that had never been burned before.”
Carrington, who conducts burns on private lands all winter and spring, said the area fire department and the Texas Forest Service were notified of the burns ahead of time, as required by law, and said burns in East Texas areas to the south have shown good success.
“There has been a lot of fire suppression in the past,” he said. “We are trying to change the culture. There has been a lot of interest, I spoke at a landowner meeting (March 16) and there were 60 landowners there. Most are interested in deer and timber management, though, as the quail have been gone for so long that people have written them off. That’s another thing we aim to change.”
Connor Murnane, a district forester with the Texas A&M Forest Service, said prescribed burning helps reduce fuel loading.
“We see fuel as a woody, shrubby or herbaceous species that can easily burn,” he said. “Native Americans recognized the importance of fire in their environment. They would often intentionally light fires to create a better habitat for hunting or browsing of wildlife species.”
Able's
Ally Outdoors
Midland |432-203-3661
Alpine Range
Fort Worth |817-478-6613
Apache Rifle Works Comfort |830-995-3894
Gilmer |903-680-4867
Murname said East Texas is a “fire-dependent ecosystem,” and the wall of understory brush — namely yaupon, sweetgum, Chinese tallow and other invasive species — is unnatural.
678-0662
“East Texas used to look more like a pine meadow or savannah, with beautiful open spaces filled with green grasses and wildflowers between the trees,” he said. “And while that
kind of environment is visually pleasing and aesthetic to us, it’s also attractive to wildlife.”
Graff said the weather conditions after the burn were perfect.
“We got a good, heavy rain,” he said. “As soon as we get some sunshine, things will start popping up.”
Ark-La-Tex Guns & More
Athena Gun Club
Houston |713-461-5900
BPS Outfitters Sherman|903-892-2227
BTO Range
Burdett and Son Outdoor College Station |979-695-2807
Carroll's Gun Shop
Wharton |979-532-3175
Clay Shooters Supply
Dallas |214-347-4913
Collectors Firearms Houston |713-781-1960
Defender Outdoors
Fort Worth|817-935-8377
Dury's Guns
San Antonio |210-533-5431
East Texas Pawn
Lufkin |936-639-3322
Fehner & Son Gonzales |830-672-3710
Field & Streams Sporting Goods
San Angelo |325-944-7094
Fun Guns
Waco |254-755-0080
Gordy & Sons Outfitters
Houston |713-951-0100
Guard & Defend Firearms
Silsbee |409-201-9468
Hootens Emory |903-473-8788
Johnny's Sport Shop
Eagle Lake |979-234-3516
Magnolia Hunting Supply
Magnolia |281-766-1045
McBride's Gun
Austin |512-472-3532
McQueeney Gun Club New Braunfels |830-609-8891
Modern Pawn & Gun
Corpus Christi |361-993-9390
Mumme's
|830-426-3313
North Texas Piggin Products
|214-837-1994
Oakwood Outfitters Oakwood |903- 545-2825
Oasis Outback
Uvalde |830-278-4000
Outdoorsman San Angelo |325-947-8859
Parker County Gibson Products
Weatherford |817-594-8711
Ray's Hardware & Sporting Goods
Dallas |214-747-7916
Riflegear
The Colony |972-292-7678
SK ARMS
Flowermound |972-628-6200
Midland|432- 704-5127
Sportsman's Finest Austin |512-263-1888
Spring Guns & Ammo
Spring |281-288-7000
Superior Outfitters
Longview |903-212-2200
Tyler |903-617-6141
Texan Guns and Gear
Stephenville |254-965-9099
Texas Gun Experience
Grapevine|817-285-0664
Texian Firearms
Houston|346-775-8363
Trinity Armory
Cleveland|281-659-2800
Wings & Whitetails
Carthage|903-693-6129
Xtreme Guns & Ammo
Richmond|832-363-3783 FIND A
AVENGER 40
WAVE12 384 Sensor
9+ Hour Runtime
MSRP: $4099
Game-changing simplicity. Industry leading runtime. Onboard video, photo and HD audio recording. Meet the new AVENGER from Fusion Thermal.
AVENGER 55XR
WAVE12 640 Sensor
7+ Hour Runtime
MSRP: $5989
Available at fine retailers all across the Great State of Texas
Leave the Collars to the Dogs
Getting your target into focus quickly and easily is a must, and you won’t find a better system than our Micro Click Focus. Our tactile focus knob is conveniently located on top of the front lens, and unlike the dog collar design used by our competitors you won’t need to perform a circus act just to focus your scope. Plus, you’ll always get your best shot as the micro click adjustments put you on the perfect focus point every time.
ARCLIGHT Ultra HD Germanium Lens
The single most expensive component of a well-crafted thermal is its germanium lens. If you skimp here, you’re not even in the game. Our high purity ArcLight Ultra HD Germanium Lens is the crowning jewel of our technology package. It perfects the task of collecting and funneling infrared energy into the thermal sensor unhindered by distortion. This clean transition results in an infrared energy dump that unleashes the full potential of our WAVE thermal sensor delivering a user experience well beyond expectations.
KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) Menu
Industry’s Easiest Menu System
We think you’re really going to like our menu; it uses words, English words. Written for Americans by Americans. That’s why we called it KISS. You’ve heard the phrase, and at Fusion Thermal it’s the reason we can make the industry’s boldest statement: Our operating system is so easy to use you’ll likely never read the instructions.
Our highly intuitive three button control system with center tower makes using your scope simple and easy. Every command is at your fingertips, and the Center Tower evenly splits the control panel, so you’ll never be confused about what button you’re going to press. We thought this a particularly good idea since you’ll be using it in the dark most of the time.
WAVE Thermal Sensor
Same Money, Better Performance
Is it possible for one thermal scope to dramatically outperform everything else in its class? Yes, so don’t make the mistake of shopping by specifications alone or you just might get burned. Our WAVE thermal sensors push the limit of what is technically possible and set the standard for image quality, ruggedness, and long life. So, before you plop down your hard-earned cash make sure you do a side-by-side to any similarly priced competitive alternative. We think you’ll find the difference to be clearly obvious.
Plastic is for toys. Metal is for tools. It’s a fact, thermals produce heat, and heat is the enemy of all thermal devices. If you don’t get the heat out operational performance will degrade, and long-term internal damage is a certainty. Our XGEN (Next Generation Alloy Body) shields your expensive investment in a metal clad of armor, and our high-end AL6082 Conductive Structural Alloy displaces heat at an astounding 71,900% better than plastic. You don’t think of your thermal as some cheap plastic toy. Why should it be built like one?
