March 25, 2016 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas

March 25, 2016

Volume 12, Issue 15

Grouped up opener

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News One might call Bruce Sumner of Yantis an avid turkey hunter. Others may call him obsessed.

“I’ve killed birds in 38 states,” he said.

“I’m a turkey hunter like other guys are deer hunters. I’m going to Oklahoma, then Shamrock in the Texas Panhandle, then Missouri.”

On opening weekend in South Texas, he hunted in Frio County near Friotown with Friotown Hunts.

“It’s all mesquite flats, so the birds are hard to see,” Sumner said. “When you’re moving around, you see more of them.”

Sumner managed to shoot a tom on Saturday, but it was a slow day.

“We had a thunderstorm Friday night and heavy north winds on Saturday,” he said. “Either they were quiet (in responding to the call) or I couldn’t hear them.”

Sunday (March 20) was a different story.

“It was a ball,” Sumner said. “I saw 20 different gobblers and lost count of how many groups I called in. I could hear birds everywhere.”

Sumner had heard reports of the abundance of jakes, but saw quite a few mature toms.

“I saw two groups of jakes running around, but quite a few mature birds without hens,” he said. “I think they are just in the process of getting broken up.”

Craig Meyer hunted in Duvall County with his wife. The New Jersey native married a Texas girl and takes every chance he gets to hunt in the Lone Star State.

Please turn to page 14

PLENTY OF BIRDS: Many South Texas hunters reported the toms and hens were still in large groups during the opening weekend of the spring turkey season. Some hunters saw mostly jakes, but others were able to bring the mature birds to the call. Near George West, hunters witnessed more breading activity. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Black drum fun

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Spring break in Port O’Connor was a blast for eighth-graders Zack Brown and his buddy Dawson Johnson, both 14 years old. They made the run from Friendswood, with Zack’s dad, Jerry Brown Jr., to go fishing with Jerry Brown, Zack’s papa.

“Zack and I have been fishing the black drum run here in Port O’Connor since he was 5,” Jerry Brown said. “It’s always a good time, and the boys never seem to get tired of reeling in the big fish.”

Guide Dodd Coffey says the spring break in Port O’Connor is always a big time for kids to catch big fish.

“The drum run is always a big event here because we’ve got several areas to fish that are easy to get to, and provide nonstop fishing fun for the kids, and quite a few mom’s, dad’s and grandparents. The action usually starts up in March, and continues into April.”

Leaders terminated,

expenditures challenged

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News FISHING FRIENDS: While on spring break from Friendswood Junior High School, Zack Brown, left, and his buddy Dawson Johnson caught this 40-pound-class black drum while fishing fresh cracked crabs on the bottom. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Some of the most popular drum fishing spots at Port O’Connor include Mitchells Cut, Saluria Bayou, Pass Cavallo and the jetties. The most popular among those areas is Mitchells, an un-jettied dredged pass

The controversy stalking the Wounded Warrior Project — which in the past has sponsored hunting and fishing excursions for disabled U.S. military veterans, among its other programs — has riled many of the charity’s supporters.

A CBS News report alleged WWP spent less on programming than it claimed and that after Steven Nardizzi was hired as CEO spending on conferences and meetings rose from $1.7 million in 2010 to $26 million in 2014, including $3 million for a conference at the Broadmoor Hotel, a 5-star hotel in Colorado Springs.

WWP argued the television report misled the

Please turn to page 19

INSIDE

Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 22

Wounded Warrior Project under fire

HUNTING

Turkey proposal

Name the predator

Texas woman gets surprise while on turkey hunt.

Page 4

Clues on wildlife show the culprit.

Page 5

FISHING

Please turn to page 7

Trinity trout

Sink or float?

Fort Worth anglers land big rainbows.

Page 8

Factors determine whether a dead fish rises or falls.

Page 8

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March 25, 2016

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March 25, 2016

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HUNTING

Proposal in the turkey field

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Jana Lee didn’t get a turkey on opening day, but she probably doesn’t care. Her boyfriend, Gaines Slade, became her fiancé just after the hunt.

“I wanted her to be able to shoot one, but we only took one gun,” Slade said. “She had never been turkey hunting with me. I had permission to hunt on a small place near Kerrville. We started in a ground blind but it was really cold and nothing was moving.”

The pair went back to the vehicle to warm up, but he knew he had to get her back out in the field to accomplish his plan.

“We walked the perimeter of the property, I would stop and call,” Slade said. “We had almost finished the loop when I got a tom to answer.”

The tom came in, strutting, but flared from the hen decoy Slade had placed.

“I had overcommitted Jana to one side to shoot,” he said. “I was on her right. The tom hooked in on us and she couldn’t see him.

He went behind a prickly pear and I had to grab the gun and shoot him.”

Jana enjoyed the show, though.

“She was really excited — she had never SURPRISE: Jana Lee seen one strut,” Slade said. received an engageThe couple has been dating “three hunting ment ring from seasons,” and she has killed a buck and a few Gaines Slade during does with her now fiancé. a turkey hunt near Once this bird was on the ground, Slade Kerrville on opening day. Photo by Gaines put his plan into action.

Slade.

“I shoot video for the Tecomate Wildlife Please turn to page 14

The antler jump Whitetail antlers take leap between ages 4 and 5 Lone Star Outdoor News

WATCH HIM GROW: This 4-year-old buck may take its biggest jump in antler score in the next year, according to researchers. The increase, generally about 8 percent, is a helpful tool in aging bucks. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Deer hunters struggle with it, argue about it and worry about it. Landowners make rules (or worse, penalties) for their leaseholders based on it. Books have been written about it.

How old is that buck?

At the recent Deer Associates Meeting held by researchers at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Stuart Stedman discussed years of study of bucks of known ages on the Faith Ranch in Dimmit County.

As expected, the answers aren’t set in stone, but a few tips offered may help.

“How to age on the hoof has been discussed for years,” Stedman said. “We studied all of the physical traits of the deer.”

What did they learn?

“Neck size in determining age is pretty useless after the buck is a yearling,” he said. “Weight of the deer also wasn’t a good method for determining age. The antler score was better but not determinative.”

What about the Roman nose?

“There are a lot of mature deer with straight noses,” Stedman said. “A pronounced hump, though, tends to show up in older deer, so it’s plausible that if a buck

Checking feeder batteries Getting a true reading Lone Star Outdoor News Some motorists don’t trust their vehicle’s gauges to tell them to replace their battery.

They simply rely on their calendars and replace it every year or two.

Hunters and landowners with deer feeders on timers may benefit from a similar practice.

On a recent trip to his hunting lease north of Abilene, a Texas hunter wondered why his timed protein feeder wasn’t

putting out enough protein feed. The battery timer showed it had full power, but wasn’t operating at its full potential.

After removing the connection to the solar panel, the 12-volt battery was checked with an Please turn to page 14 CHECK UNDER LOAD: When checking deer feeder batteries, unhook them from the solar panel and push the test button to get a true reading.

Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

has a large body and a Roman nose, he is at least 5 years old.”

The research continues, and Stedman said more analysis is needed.

“No single physical characteristic is an accurate indicator of age,” he said. “Even after the deer is harvested, tooth wear tends to overage deer ages 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 and tends to underage mature deer.”

What should the hunters and managers look for, especially if they haven’t seen the deer in past years?

The antler jump, Stedman said.

“The deer’s antlers tend to take a big jump between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2,” he said. “At this age, their bodies are full grown. After they are 4, the body growth slows down, and by age 5, body growth has stopped. Studies have shown the jump is about 8 percent. The nutrients ingested can be used more for antler growth.

That’s why we call 5 1/2 –year-old bucks mature.”

Stedman’s best recommendation is to estimate the deer’s age with the antler jump in mind.

“The first time you see a deer, instead of estimating at age 5 1/2, call him 4 1/2 and then watch him to see if there is a big jump in the antlers. The next year, you’re more likely to know his age.”

High schooler dies in hunting accident A Weatherford High School senior killed in a hunting accident apparently accidentally shot himself, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Brennan Weikel, a 17-year-old football player, was hunting with his stepfather and two other relatives early morning of March 14 in Wise County when the shooting occurred shortly before 4 a.m.

The group was hunting hogs on a property near the Wise County and Jack County line, according to Brennan Weikel Texas Game Warden Penny Nixon.

“They were placed in individual ground blinds, the little wooden ones,” Nixon said. “His stepfather shot a hog and called the victim to ask him to help retrieve it. And the stepfather reported that immediately upon hanging up with the stepson, just seconds later, he heard a shot. It came from the blind where the young victim was.

“There may have been some hunter inexperience involved.”

Nixon said it appears that when Weikel went to stand up and move out of the blind, he reached for the grip of the rifle and squeezed the trigger as he moved, shooting himself with a .243 round.

It appeared the safety mechanism was not engaged at the time he went to grab and move the gun, according to Nixon.

—Staff report

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Whodunit for wildlife managers Clues help identify predators Lone Star Outdoor News Landowners and wildlife managers are accustomed to finding dead animals on their property. Many are quick to assume a certain predator was to blame.

John Tomacek with Texas AgriLife said the assumptions aren’t always correct, and a CSI-like examination of the animal and the area around it often can provide clues that lead to the culprit.

“We need to confirm our suspicions,” he said at a Webinar sponsored by Texas AgriLife and the NAME THE PREDATOR: Canines (dogs and coyotes) often feed Texas Wildlife Association. “The on the hindquarters of deer, while felines tend to feed on answer can have both ecological intestines. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News. and economic effects.”

Tomacek was quick to refer to an example of a faulty allegation.

“One guy called and said he had an incredible coyote predation problem but it sounded like he had other issues,” Tomacek said. “The next time he had a confirmed kill, we went out. It turned out it was a neighbor dog coming over — the guy had spent a lot of money on coyote control.”

Tomacek offered some signs that can be critical for wildlife management.

“Look for tracks,” he said. “Examine the area and look at scat or fecal matter. We can use hair in fecal matter to determine an animal’s diet and see the plant matter it contains. And look at barbed wire fences and areas where trails go toward a fenceline or crossing. The passages under fences can tell you a lot.”

Next, turn your attention to the carcass on the ground.

The type of wound on the animal will often identify the predator.

“Skin back around the wounds, it could be the animal died of other causes, like disease or a fawn being abandoned,” Tomacek said. “Open up the stomach and look for milk.”

General signs of a predator being the culprit include bite marks, claw marks and drags.

“Predators specialize in modes of killing prey,” Tomacek said. “They leave clues behind.”

Please turn to page 26

March 25, 2016

Novice bags Dallas County hog Hunt taken via Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program Lone Star Outdoor News Lesli San Jose of Kyle had been on one previous hog hunt, but didn’t see any hogs. On Saturday, she went on a hunt in Dallas County, and after a long, cold morning and evening, she finally bagged a 60-pounder right at dark.

The women-only hunt, arranged by Collin County Game Warden Mike Stephens in conjunction with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, took place in the southern part of the urban county.

BOW consists of weekend workshops where women choose the courses to participate in, whether they are the shooting sports (shotgun, rifle, handgun, muzzleloader or archery), fishing or non-harvest activities like camping or kayaking.

“If you take enough classes, you can qualify to go on a hunt,” San Jose said.

San Jose also bagged a duck on her first duck hunt through the program.

Karen Horn of Temple didn’t get a shot at a hog, but she had a previous successful experience.

“I went on a crossbow hunt,” she said.

“It was blind luck — I shot a 10-point buck.”

This was the first-ever hunt for Sharon Hayes of Burleson and Sarah Forbes of Austin. Texas Game Wardens Jeff Powell of Ellis County, Capt. Tony Norton of

Garland, Martin Oviedo of Dallas County and Stephens served as the guides.

The morning hunt brought cold temperatures and a stiff north wind.

“The wardens were kind of baffled that we didn’t see more hogs,” Hayes said.

“They said the wind must have messed them up, but we did see some deer.”

San Jose’s hunt was nearing its end when she heard the group of hogs.

“We went back out in the afternoon,” she said. “We sat and sat. I got a text from the other girls that they were heading in. My mentor went to get the truck — I could see the headlights from his truck coming. Then I heard the hogs.”

San Jose was hunting over a feeder with a light that would come on when the hogs came in, and the visibility was adequate, although she was already out of the pop-up blind.

“I took a knee to steady my left arm and took the shot,” she said. “The group took off, and when we went down there, I had dropped the pig in its tracks.

“It was pretty awesome.”

Stephens said the southern portion of Dallas County has no shortage of hogs.

“There are a lot of them down here,” he said. “We all saw a lot of tracks. We wanted to show that there is hunting in Dallas County. For next year, we’re planning an night hunt using more of a tactical approach.”

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“Virgil” July 11, 2002 – May 4, 2016 For home or office delivery, go to LSONews.com, or call (214) 361-2276, or send a check or money order to the address below.

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News When Morgan Tyler was in college at Texas Tech University, he just wanted a good dog that could hunt.

With the help of a friend in South Texas, he found Virgil.

“He was kind of a bastard,” Tyler said. “I got him out of South Texas, a guy I knew had the sire. The sire had never tested but the dame was, and both were great dogs.”

Tyler bought the German wirehaired pointer for $200 on his college budget, named him Virgil and trained the dog by himself.

“He didn’t have certified breeding, so running him in hunt tests would be frowned upon,” Tyler said.

Virgil hunted more than South Texas quail.

“He hunted everything,” Tyler said. “Quail, ducks, geese and he blood-trailed deer.”

During the season when Virgil was between 1 and 2 years old, the quail numbers were high in Texas.

“We shot 600 birds over him that year,” Tyler said. “I hadn’t had a season like that until this year. With a lot of quail and a lot of time on your hands, it’s the best time in the world to train a dog.”

One day while quail hunting, a fox ran out as the pair walked down a tank dam.

“I shot him with my 20 gauge,” Tyler said. “Virgil went after him and caught him at the end of the tank. The fox was trying to bite him, so Virgil took that fox out in the water and drowned him.”

Virgil bayed up a wounded mule deer on another occasion, and the buck charged his master.

“Virgil got right in the middle of it,” Tyler said.

When it came to quail, Virgil stopped at nothing to bring back the bird.

“I watched him and his littermate dig a 15-foot trench to get a blue quail that had run down a rabbit hole,” Tyler said. “That was the last bird of the 2001-2002 season — they dug that quail out of there.”

Virgil’s last hunting season was two years ago.

“His last point was on the Matador WMA two years ago,” Tyler said. “I was hunting with Dane Swinborn of Tule Creek Outfitters; we went to college together.”

Virgil was going to be 15 years old this summer.

“He was a hell of a good dog,” Tyler said.

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March 25, 2016

Nonprofit takes heat

Texans receive top DU awards

Continued from page 1

public about the group’s financial practices and contained errors such as the cost of the Broadmoor Hotel conference, which it pegged at $970,000. At the same time, however, the WWP Board fired Nardizzi as well as COO Al Giordano and pledged to rededicate itself to helping wounded military veterans.

Kenneth Jones of Spring, though, wrote on the website of Charity Navigator, which rates nonprofits, that he’d seen enough.

“I asked my family to donate to WWP at our reunion about six years ago,” Jones wrote. “And even though I had an aunt complain for the last three years about the WWP wasting money, I convinced everybody to keep the donations going. NOW, NOW I have to go back and tell them I have wasted their money…”

For its part, Charity Navigator gave WWP three out of five stars, questioning some of its financial practices but giving it high marks for accountability and transparency.

Safari Club International was a 2012 “Guardian” donor to WWP, meaning its donation was in the range of $25,000-$49,000. In a response to LSON, however, SCI distanced itself from the organization.

“Currently, neither SCI nor the SCI Foundation provide financial support to WWP,” Chip Burkhalter, director of Government Affairs, wrote in an email. “SCI and the SCI Foundation do, however, have a number of veteran’s projects we implement.

Both SCI and SCIF believe in supporting America’s veterans and ensuring they have the ability to hunt and enjoy the outdoors.”

WWP has fought back against reporting that it overstated what it spends on programs for wounded veterans.

“Based on our fiscal year 2014 audited financial statements … 80.6 percent of total expenditures went to provide programs and services for wounded service members, and their families and caregivers,” the group stated on its Facebook page.

The nonprofit watchdog Charity Watch challenged that percentage.

For the 2014 fiscal year, it calculated WWP spent 54 percent of its budget on programs. Charity Watch noted that WWP, among other things, counted some direct mail solicitations and telemarketing efforts as programs. Legally, charities can do so if there is a “public education” component, said Stephanie Kalivas, a Charity Watch analyst.

“Many donors don’t want their money being spent to make people aware of things they basically already know, such as (an ad for) flying the flag on Veterans Day,” Kalivas said. “It’s basically just a solicitation. People want their money going directly to helping veterans.”

WWP countered in a press release that using “joint cost allocation” to calculate program spending is an established accounting principle.

Despite the hullabaloo, the group still has many supporters — including the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association. For two years, firefighters sold T-shirts to raise funds for WWP and assisted the organization on various projects. After that, local WWP officials said a contract with Under Armour wouldn’t permit them to sell apparel manufactured elsewhere.

San Antonio firefighters didn’t see any evidence locally of the issues plaguing the national WWP organization, said Bobby Ford, public relations chairman for their association.

“The people we dealt with certainly didn’t have lavish offices or anything like that,” he said. “And it’s a worthy cause. We helped build houses for wounded veterans, and I can tell you that they sure appreciated it.”

If given the chance, firefighters would like to work with WWP again, Ford said. However, the group wants WWP to honor its pledge.

“As with any charitable donation, you hate to see the money go to extravagance,” Ford said. “You want to see it funding what it’s supposed to fund. If you’re donating to wounded warriors, the majority of the money should go to wounded warriors, we feel.”

Two Texans were recipients of Ducks Unlimited’s 2016 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards during the 81st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Bart Ballard, professor and research scientist in the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, was honored in the research/technical category, and Ross Melinchuk, deputy executive director for Natural Resources for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, won the award in the state employee category.

“Dr. Ballard has spent his career focused on waterfowl and wetland biology, ecology and management,” said DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. “In particular, his contributions toward understanding wintering ecology of northern pintail along the Gulf Coast of Texas and the biology of western Gulf Coast mottled ducks have been important for guiding waterfowl habitat conservation in one of DU’s highest priority landscapes.”

Ballard has been on faculty at Texas A&M University-Kingsville since 2002.

Melinchuk spent more than 30 years of his career focusing on waterfowl.

“Ross Melinchuk has been involved in the implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan — in Canada and the United States,” Schmidt said. “Because he truly understands the continental nature of waterfowl and their need for habitat from Canada through the United States and into Mexico, Ross has worked diligently to ensure waterfowl find sufficient resources wherever they go.”

Born on the Canadian prairies, Melinchuk earned two degrees in wildlife science and management, was selected as the Saskatchewan Environment and Renewable Resources Department’s first North American Waterfowl Management Plan coordinator and worked for DU for 17 years.

He played a particularly important role in shepherding the expansion of AFWA’s State Contributions to NAWMP/North American Wetlands Conservation Act projects in Canada program, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

—DU

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FISHING

Trophy trout on the Trinity Event brings fly-fishermen to shadow of downtown

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News

NICE RAINBOW: Brad Dodson, a teacher and tennis coach for Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, landed and released this 22 3/4-inch rainbow trout in the Trinity River in Fort Worth during the Trinity River Fly Fest. Photo by Adam Tate.

Sink or float?

Dead fish may do either

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News It’s an offbeat question that anglers have debated for ages.

Do dead fish sink or float?

Anglers who think dead fish sink often base that on seeing dead fish at the bottom of a water body, without realizing DEBATE UNRESOLVED: Some anglers argue fish float they’re not getting when they die, but often they sink first, later coming to the surface. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News. the whole picture.

Anglers who think dead fish float often base that on seeing dead fish on top of the water, without realizing they’re late to the show.

Others with the latter viewpoint have seen fish yanked to the surface from deep waters, which sometimes doesn’t give their swim bladder (a gas-filled sac that bony fish such as bass use to maintain and control buoyancy) time to adjust to the rapid decrease in water pressure — resulting in dead fish commonly termed “floaters.”

So, what’s the answer: sink or float?

Both, usually.

“In general, those fishes with swim bladders tend to float when they die,” said Mark Fisher, science director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “They’re as close to neutral buoyance as you can get. So when they die, the little bit of gas that develops from decomposition causes them to float.”

However, the flotation process is not immediate, said Adam Whisenant, a member of the TPWD’s Kills and Spills Team. And these guys, according to TPWD biologist Tim Bister, “have probably seen more dead fish than anyone.”

“From what I’ve seen, if it’s a fresh fish kill, they’re usually on the bottom,” Whisenant said. “If you get there later, you may see them suspended in the water. But they don’t start floating until they start decaying. The gas builds up in their bodies and they rise to the top.”

Please turn to page 16

Brad Dodson has trout fever. On March 13, his ailment got worse after he landed a 22 3/4-inch rainbow in the Trinity River in Fort Worth.

Yes, the Trinity River.

Adam Tate of Fort Worth was there, fishing in the Trinity River Fly Fest held by the Trinity River Water Authority.

“Fly-fishermen came in from all over,” Tate said. “They stocked the park (Trinity River Park) with 2,600 rainbows and they told us they put in six trophy rainbows over 22 inches and six golden trout.”

Tate competed in a derby where the anglers were given one hour to win prizes for the largest or most trout, and won big fish of the day on March 12 with a 19 1/2-inch that he said “rocketed out of the water.”

Matt Oliver of TRWA said the event was aimed at getting people reconnected with the river.

“We wanted to put the event on in conjunction with the last trout stocking of the year, but because of high water levels, the stockings were moved to other ponds. It turned out, this was the only stocking in the river.”

Oliver is well aware of the Trinity’s less-thanstellar reputation.

“We have tested the water since the early ’90s,” he said. “We have some of the best water quality in the state for urban areas — the water is clean and safe. We want change the perception and people to have ownership of the river — we’re making progress.”

The event brought about 1,200 people to the river’s edge, with activities for both adults and children, including fly-fishing and fly-tying lessons.

Please turn to page 13

Texoma surveys show few small stripers, lots of white bass

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Paul Bandiera caught and released a 19.3-pound striped bass from Lake Texoma recently, and said there have been some great days on the water — but they have been too few and far between.

“Last week was real good, but the lake raised up 3 feet and it fell off,” guide Chris Carey said. “The fish are spawning — it still been the hardest year we’ve seen — we’ve caught some 15-, 16- and up to 19-pounders, but others days are tough.”

Declines in fishing success have led many guides and fishermen to believe that a high percentage of the stripers in the lake went over the spillway in the record flooding in 2015. Biologists say not so fast.

“We completed sampling at Texoma in February working with Oklahoma fisheries staff,” said Dan Bennett, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist. “It is evident that the population density is down, as it was following floods in 1990 and 2007; however, it would be tough to place the blame solely on the flooding because there are a number of different factors at work.”

Bennett pointed to the size of the fish that are missing from the survey.

“The most notable impact affecting catch rates appears to actually be a poor spawn in spring 2014 when the water was so low and flow in the rivers was limited,” he said. “Right now, this has resulted in a virtual absence of fish between 12 and 16 inches in the lake.”

Those 2-year-old fish are typically the most numerous in the lake, the most heavily caught and the most heavily harvested by guides and anglers. Carey said he believes the 2013 Please turn to page 17

BIGGER BUT FEWER: On good days, big stripers are being landed on Lake Texoma, but the numbers of smaller fish are down after floods sent water and some fish over the spillway last year. Photo by Chris Carey.

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

Mega Bass won by 22-year-old Gary Green, a 22-year-old, landed the biggest bass of the day at the Skeeter Bass Champs Mega Bass Presented by the Sportsmans Auto Network tournament on Lake Fork on March 21. He went home with $15,000 plus a Skeeter ZX200 powered by Yamaha and equipped with Lowrance, Power Pole and a MinnKota trolling motor.

More than 1,900 anglers from 30 states competed in the event. With cold temperaPhoto by Bass Champs tures and a strong north wind, many anglers headed to the coves for protection. Still, nine bass measuring more than 24 inches on the slot lake were brought to the scales.

Green’s fish was weighed in during the noon hour. He was fishing shallow-water banks with a floating worm. The big bass weighed 10.02 pounds, the biggest fish caught in the tournament.

Bob Roberts of Longview won the first $15,000 hourly check with a 9.35-pound largemouth he caught using a Carolina-rigged watermelon candy trick worm in 5 feet of water.

Rockwall angler Jonathan Ham won another $15,000 check in the second hour with an 8.65-pounder.

During the 10 a.m. hour, only “unders,” fish measuring 16 inches or less, were eligible, and Jim Holmes of Prosper turned his 2.08-pound bass into a $15,000 check.

Scott Morton of Nacogdoches won the 11 a.m. hour with a 8.26-pounder, and Jerry Benton Hall of Lewisville won the 1 p.m. hour with his 9.71-pounder. Hall used a deepdiving crankbait. Two fish over the slot were weighed in during the hour, with Jerry Archer of Poetry turning in a 8.67-pound bass for second place.

The last hour also had two fish over the slot come to the scales. Larry Ladnier of Rockwall’s 9.55-pounder topped David Sorrels of Linden, whose bass weighed 9.06 pounds.

In the event, more than $200,000 in cash and prizes was paid out in the richest oneday hourly bass tournament in the world.

—Bass Champs

March 25, 2016

Page 9

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Page 10

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT ALAN HENRY: 2.3’ low. Black bass are fair to good on spinner baits, Texas-rigged lizards and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on live bait.

AMISTAD: Water murky; 63–67 degrees; 24.41’ low.

Black bass are good on green pumpkin jerkbaits, spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics. White bass are fair on crankbaits, jigging spoons, and grubs. Striped bass are fair on crankbaits, jigging spoons, and grubs. Catfish are fair on bloodbait, shrimp and nightcrawlers over baited holes.

ATHENS: Water stained; 63–65 degrees; 0.86’ high.

Black bass are good on Texasrigged craws, bladed jigs and swimjigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on prepared bait and trotlines.

BASTROP: Water clear; 63–67 degrees. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms, crankbaits, and spinner baits. Crappie are slow.

Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait, shrimp and nightcrawlers.

BELTON: Water murky; 61–65 degrees; 4.53’ high. All species are slow.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 62–65 degrees; 0.58’ high.

Black bass are good on bladed jigs, spinner baits and Texas-rigged creature baits.

Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows.

Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

BONHAM: Water muddy, 60– 64 degrees; 0.20’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits and spinner baits around shallow cover.

Crappie are good on minnows around the bridges, boat docks and cattails. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink baits.

BRAUNIG: Water stained.

Black bass are good on crankbaits and spinner baits in the reeds. Striped bass are good down-rigging silver and gold spoons near the jetty and dam.

Redfish are fair on perch, shad and shrimp near Dead Tree Point. Channel catfish are good on liver, shrimp and cheesebait near the dam.

BRIDGEPORT: Water stained to muddy, 59–63 degrees: 0.19’ high. Black bass are slow on medium diving crankbaits, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows near boat docks and the bridge. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are slow.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained;

60–64 degrees; 0.47’ high.

Black bass are good on crankbaits, black/blue jigs, and worms over brush piles. White bass are fair on minnows, spinner baits, and crankbaits off lighted docks. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait and nightcrawlers over baited holes.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 58–62 degrees; 5.18’ low.

Black bass are good on pumpkin craws, hard jerkbaits, and watermelon stick baits on jigheads off points.

Striped bass are fair trolling crankbaits and striper jigs, and drifting live bait from near Paradise Point in 20–25 feet.

Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles in 10–20 feet.

Channel catfish are slow.

CADDO: Water muddy; 60– 65 degrees; 11.45’ high. All species are slow. Many ramps are closed due to flooding.

CALAVERAS: Water stained.

Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastic worms and crankbaits near the dam.

Striped bass are fair on cut perch and shad along the shoreline. Redfish are fair down-rigging silver spoons near the dam. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp and cheesebait.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 59–63 degrees; 0.34’ high. Black bass are fair on chartreuse jerkbaits, watermelon jigs and worms along break lines and ledges in 12–20 feet. Striped bass are fair trolling white striper jigs and vertically jigging Spoiler Shads. White bass are good on minnows and Li’l Fishies along the main river channel. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs up-

river.

Channel catfish are slow.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 60–63 degrees; 0.24’ high.

Black bass are good on swimjigs, square-billed crankbaits and Texas-rigged craws. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs.

Crappie are good on minnows.

Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

CHOKE CANYON: Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 22.68’ low. Black bass are good on crankbaits and buzzbaits in grass. White bass are good on minnows and jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on stink bait and live perch.

COLEMAN: Water murky; 58–62 degrees; 3.84’ low.

Black bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits.

Hybrid striper are good on white striper jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on stinkbait and cut bait.

COLETO CREEK: Water murky; 68 degrees in main lake; 0.22’ high. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinner baits.

White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 10–12 feet at Coletoville Bridge. Catfish are slow.

CONROE: Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 0.82’ high.

Black bass are slow. Catfish are slow.

FALCON: Water murky; 68–72 degrees; 16.67’ low.

Black bass are good on watermelon red soft plastic worms, crankbaits and spinner baits.

Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, stink bait and cut bait.

FAYETTE: Water murky. Black bass are good on chartreuse Carolina-rigged soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers and stink bait.

FORK: Water stained to muddy; 61–65 degrees; 0.08’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, weightless flukes and soft plastic swimbaits. White and yellow bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water murky; 59–65 degrees; 0.48’ high. Black bass are fair on chatterbaits, Texas rigs and Senkos. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait.

GRANBURY: Water murky; 57–61 degrees; 0.03’ high.

Black bass are good on perchcolored soft plastics and lipless crankbaits over grass.

Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and green tube jigs.

GRANGER: Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 4.08’ high.

Black bass are fair on small crankbaits upriver. White bass are good on small white jigs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows upriver at night.

Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with shad.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.70’ high. Black bass are good on green pumpkinseed and watermelon seed soft plastic worms.

Crappie are very good on live minnows. Bream are fair on live worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water offcolor; 61–69 degrees; 14.23’ low. Black bass are fair on spinner baits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

JOE POOL: Water stained to muddy; 59–63 degrees; 3.60’ high. Black bass are fair on spinner baits, swimjigs and shallow crankbaits. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

LAVON: Water stained to muddy; 61–64 degrees: 2.69’ high. Black bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are slow on trotlines.

LBJ: Water stained; 61–65 degrees; 0.71’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon jigs and chartreuse lipless crankbaits from docks. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good in main lake channels. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 60–64 degrees; 3.78’ high.

Black bass are good on Texasrigged tubes, creature baits and flipping jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 61–65 degrees; 0.51’ low.

Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinner baits. Striped bass are fair but small on chartreuse striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad.

MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 75–80 degrees; 0.05’ low. Black bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows

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

MONTICELLO: Water stained; 62–66 degrees; 0.06’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits and shallow crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on prepared bait and stink bait.

NASWORTHY: 59–65 degrees; 1.11’ low. Black bass are fair to good on flukes, Texas-rigged creature baits and jigs. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 59–67 degrees; 46.02’ low.

Black bass are fair on spinner baits, flukes, Texas rigs, jigs and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs fished shallow. Catfish are fair to good on live bait.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 58–66 degrees; 15.1’ low.

Black bass are fair on Senkos, Texas rigs, chatterbaits and

jigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on chartreuse nightcrawlers.

PALESTINE: Water stained; 60–63 degrees; 2.34’ high.

Black bass are good on flipping jigs, Texas-rigged craws and swimjigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Hybrid striper are fair on slabs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water off-color; 58–67 degrees; 0.03’ high. Black bass are fair on spinner baits with Colorado blades, Texas rigs and Senkos.

Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

PROCTOR: Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 2.51’ high.

All species are slow.

RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 61–64 degrees; 0.06’ high. Black bass are slow on spinner baits and square-billed crankbaits. Crappie are slow.

White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

RAY ROBERTS: Water stained; 60–64 degrees; 2.80’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits and

n Saltwater reports: Please turn to

Page 13

swimjigs. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows near brush piles. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 60–63 degrees; 0.54’ high. Black bass are slow.

Hybrid striper are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on jig. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 59–63 degrees; 4.50’ high.

Black bass are slow. Catfish are slow.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 58–62 degrees; 4.70’ high. All species are slow.

TAWAKONI: Water stained to muddy; 61– 65 degrees; 1.57’ high.

Black bass are fair on white spinner baits with a Colorado blade, black/blue flipping jigs and Texas-rigged creature baits around docks and shallow structure. White bass are slow.

Hybrid bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines.

TEXOMA: Water stained; 61–64 degrees; 0.03’ low.

Black bass are good on medium crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms and spinner baits.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 1.53’ high.

Black bass are fair on flukes.

Catfish are slow.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 0.95’ low. All species are slow.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water muddy; 60–64 degrees; 30.40’ high. All species are slow.

—TPWD

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 11

IT’S NOT POLITE TO BRAG! BUT THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH TELLING THE TRUTH! PRO-CURE SUPER GEL WILL CHANGE HOW YOU FISH BASS FOREVER! …………YES, IT’S THAT GOOD!

West Texas lakes on the mend

“I fished my whole life and never caught a double digit bass. I dreamed about landing one. First day using Super Gel I landed this 10.4 bass. My partner landed a 9.6 pro-Cure is the real deal.” Dick Gugliani

E.V. Spence has good fish, O.C. Fisher starting over

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Although West Texas isn’t as wet as the rest of the state, bodies of water like E.V. Spence Reservoir and O.C. Fisher Reservoir on the west side of San Angelo are rebounding this spring thanks to more constant water levels.

“Our lakes, especially O.C. Fisher, were dry,” said John Ingle, a biologist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries in San Angelo. “It’s got some water in the past year and a half. I don’t even know how full it is right now, but at least it’s on the boat ramp.”

Ingle and his team regularly survey fish populations using gill nets and electroshock fishing. Last spring’s survey on O.C. Fisher was dismal.

“About the only thing we found were some carp, some shad, and a few blue gill,” Ingle said.

As a result, the San Angelo Inland Fisheries department developed a stocking program to reestablish the fishery. Just last week, more than 62,000 bluegill were stocked into the lake to establish the forage base. Up next will be a stocking of largemouth bass, channel and blue catfish.

“There are a couple of boat ramps that are available for boater access but the fish-

“I’ve fished my dad’s pond for years, and my biggest bass was 7 pounds. First time using Super Gel I got this 14 plus.”

Blake Driscoll “My friend turned me on to Super Gel and in my first tournaments I won with these two monster bass.”

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FINDING FISH: Charles Cruz, a fish and wildlife technician with TPWD, checks a bass after running gill nets on E.V. Spence Reservoir. Photo by TPWD.

ing is going to be really slow this year on O.C. Fisher,” Ingle said.

While O.C. Fisher has accessible boat ramps and no fish, E.V. Spence, west of Robert Lee in Coke County, has no open boat ramps but a relatively healthy population of sportfish.

“We set up 10 gill nets just last week, and on the lower we caught quite a TroKar_LoneStarOutdoorNews_TK160_TK170_LMB_March2016.pdf 1 3/10/2016 7:40:10end AM

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Page 12

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER BLOOD TRAIL CAME FROM THE WRONG DIRECTION Shortly after leaving Fairfield Lake State Park, Freestone County Game Warden Samuel Anderson noticed a vehicle parked in the ditch facing his direction. As the warden passed by, he noticed an individual loading a pig into a pickup truck.

Anderson made contact and asked what they were doing. The man said that they lived in the area and that he shot a pig in his front yard and it ran across the road and died in the ditch. Anderson asked what direction he lived and the subject pointed in the direction of his house. Anderson asked the subject if he lived that way, why was the blood trail coming from the opposite direction? The subject said he was headed home and saw some pigs in the road. He went home and grabbed his bow. The subject stated that his wife drove the truck down the FM road and that he shot the pig from the bed of his truck in the roadway. Cases pending.

HOOP NETTERS DRAG BOAT TO BETTER SPOT On the Sabine River, Shelby County Game Warden Anthony King noticed an unoccupied boat tied to the bank on the Texas side of the river. King noticed a second flatbottomed boat in a nearby creek.

The boat was located on the other side of a small section of land. The small boat had been dragged away from the other boat’s location. As King made contact, he observed a hoop net and multiple catfish in the boat. The subjects received several citations for no personal floatation devices and multiple citations for fishing by illegal means and methods. The fish, 14 catfish, were released back into the water and

POACHER TAGGED AND CONGRATULATED ON FACEBOOK Scurry County Game Warden Trey Kram heard multiple reports of a big deer that had allegedly been shot in a hog trap, but was unable to confirm it. A break in the case came when he found a picture of a deer with a very distinct set of antlers inside of a hog trap. The deer in question had three droptines protruding from the main beam on its antlers. Kram

the illegal net was seized.

TRESPASSERS LAWYER UP, CHARGES INCREASED After receiving a call in early January from a landowner, Floyd County Game Warden Drew Spencer found a hunting guide and three clients hunting waterfowl without the landowner’s consent. The subjects were issued citations for trespassing on agricultural land, a class C misdemeanor. Later, the landowner asked Spencer if he would file the more severe charge when he learned that the subjects had hired an attorney and were claiming that they had consent to be on the property. The landowner signed the appropriate non-consent affidavits. Spencer dismissed the initial trespass charges and arrest warrants were obtained for the offense of hunting without consent of the landowner, a Class A misdemeanor. Three of the men were arrested and the other turned himself in. Cases and civil restitution for the six ducks each man had killed are pending.

ILLEGAL DUMPING BECOMES WASTE OF GAME Jack County Game Warden TJ Tweedle received a call from a land-

discovered a picture of a deer with same distinct set of antlers on a local processor’s Facebook page, and the page tagged and congratulated the shooter.

When confronted with the pictures, the subject confessed to killing the deer at night, with a light, while it was in the hog trap. Cases and civil restitution pending.

owner regarding illegal dumping on the edge of his property. Tweedle arrived to discover two trash bags containing 18 ducks that had been left for waste. After making contact with a few local hunters that had been hunting near the area, Tweedle obtained confessions to the waste of game and illegal dumping violations.

GROUP CLAIMS THEY HAD PERMISSION TO HUNT ON SEVERAL RANCHES, LANDOWNERS DISAGREE Haskell County Game Warden Kyle Nevins received a call from a hunter who reported witnessing a possible road-hunting incident and provided a description of the vehicle and direction of travel. Nevins responded and located the suspect vehicle before it left the area. The subjects denied shooting from the road, and explained the farmer, whose land they were hunting, did not want them driving in the muddy field so they parked along the county road and jumped over the fence before shooting. An inspection of each of their hunting licenses revealed that several tags were missing and the harvest logs were filled out with several large ranches, all located along the same road. The subjects all claimed they

had received permission to hunt the other ranches at the beginning of the season. The subjects’ names and contact information were recorded.

Nevins and Region 6 Game Warden Josh McCrary from Baylor County contacted the owners of the ranches that had been listed on the harvest logs and discovered that the subjects did not have consent to hunt those ranches. The subjects had shot three whitetail bucks and six off of the public road where the complaint had originated. The subjects admitted to writing down the name of whichever ranch was closest. Cases pending.

WHEN SERVING WARRANT, WARDEN FINALLY FINDS POACHER OF BIG BUCK Tyler County Game Warden Brandon Mosley and Newton County Game Warden Ellis Powell interviewed a Tyler County subject for allegedly hunting without landowner consent.

Mosley’s investigation stemmed from the discovery of an abnormally high-scoring deer mount hanging on the subject’s living room wall when Mosely and a Tyler County Sherriff’s officer served a warrant on the subject’s son. The son admitted he entered a property without consent to kill a white-tailed deer.

Mosley seized several antlers as

evidence from inside the home and K9 Blitz was able to sniff out two additional bucks under the 13-inch inside spread requirement in the backyard of the residence. While assisting with the search warrant, Mosley inquired about the deer on the wall inside the residence. The subject’s wife explained that the animal was taken on their hunting lease in another part of the county.

Mosley noted the deer could have potentially been one of the highest scoring deer ever harvested in Tyler County. Mosley also had, prior to the search warrant, received calls from a nearby high-fence landowner of poaching issues, and had investigated a poached deer on the ranch in late 2015. Mosley emailed photos of the deer mount to the landowner’s agent. After looking at numerous game camera photos, Mosley and the landowners agent identified the deer as a deer that lived on the high-fence ranch.

Mosley secured an evidentiary search warrant for the mount and later Powell and Mosley received a signed confession. The subject admitted to taking the deer from the public road and then pulling the deer through the high fence.

The deer officially scored 183 5/8.

Mosley obtained an arrest warrant for both subjects.

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

CALL (800) 792-4263

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on the Louisiana shoreline on top-waters and Corkies. Flounder are fair on jigs tipped with shrimp around marsh drains.

SOUTH SABINE: Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Trout are fair to good around Garrison Ridge and the Louisiana shoreline on topwaters and Corkies.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Runoff from the Trinity River is pouring in to the bay. Most of the bay is fresh.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good while drifting deep shell on plastics and live shrimp. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Black drum are fair to good in the Ship Channel on crabs.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working shell on live shrimp. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.

Redfish are good in the back lakes on shrimp and Gulps.

TEXAS CITY: Black drum are good in are channel on crabs. Trout are fair on the reefs on live shrimp on the incoming tide.

FREEPORT: Sand trout, speckled trout, black drum and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Black drum are good at the jetties on cracked blue crabs.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters in the back lakes on live shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good in the guts on Soft–Dines and Down South Lures while wading. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on crabs.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics over soft mud. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters

working the back lakes with live shrimp.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in Morris–Cummings Cut on free–lined shrimp. Black drum are good in the Lydia Ann Channel on crabs. Redfish are good in the back of Allyn’s Bight on Gulps and crabs.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout are fair on the East Flats on scented plastics under a popping cork. Black drum are good in the Shrimpboat Channel on crabs and finger mullet. Redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on scented plastics and live shrimp. Black drum and redfish are fair to good in the Packery Channel on crabs.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good in the guts along the King Ranch shoreline on Corkies and top-waters. Black drum are good in the Land Cut on crabs. Trout are fair to good in the Land Cut on live shrimp.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on top-waters and soft plastics around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes on scented plastics under a cork. Black drum and redfish are good on crabs at East Cut. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on artificial shrimp in 3–4 feet of water. Black drum, redfish and sheepshead are good at the jetty.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good at Gas Well Flats on live shrimp. Redfish are fair at Mexiquita Flats and South Bay on artificial shrimp and live shrimp.

—TPWD

Page 13

Trinity trout Continued from page 8

It was Dodson’s fish that got the crowd excited, though.

“It was my largest trout ever,” Dodson, a teacher and tennis coach who was off for spring break, said. “I had met Adam while fishing, Photo by Adam Tate and he helped talk me through it, he told me to be patient. He saw the fish flash and said I had one of the trophy trout.”

After the fish ran, it tried to bury up against the bank.

“Finally, he ran upriver — it felt like we fought him for more than five minutes. I had a 5 weight rod with a 4X tippet — I knew I had to take my time.”

Tate landed the fish.

“It was too big to fit in the net,” Tate said. “The people on the bank were cheering.”

Other anglers had shots at the larger fish, but most were unsuccessful.

“They broke off,” Tate said. “Most had 5X line. No one was used to catching fish this big — a few of the ones we caught had flies in their mouths.”

Dodson’s fly-fishing obsession came after a family trip to Broken Bow, Oklahoma a few years ago.

“I saw a guy catch a trout on bait,” he said. “I bought a spincaster and caught some trout.”

He was hooked.

“I saw some fly-fishermen and knew it was what I wanted to do,” he said.

When he returned home, his first stop was the Backwoods store in Fort Worth where he got set up.

“I practiced at ponds on bass and made trips to Broken Bow and Possum Kingdom, where I caught a 36-inch striper,” he said. “Last year, I went with my 17-year-old son and we camped and fished for 81 days during the summer break.

We fished in Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana and South Dakota — I guess I have a borderline obsession.”

Dodson had never fished the Trinity River before the event, but he has since.

“The next day after catching the trout, I caught my largest carp,” he said. “It felt like I had roped a bull.”

For Tate and Dodson, the event made the new friends fans of the river.

“I can’t believe I overlooked this river right in my backyard,” Tate said.

Page 14

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

South Texas toms

Beard and a ring

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 4

“It was wild,” he said. “We were bowhunting and had plenty of opportunities to take a tom. We waited for the right chance.”

Meyer said the hens were very vocal but the toms were less so.

“The toms were pretty much just following the hens,” he said.

The Harris County Wildlife Group chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation takes a group of youngsters (age 9-17) on their first turkey hunt each year, and hunted at the Boerschig Ranch in Brack- TRIP FOR TURKEY: Craig Meyer is from New Jersey but married a Texan. He traveled to South Texas to bag this tom with his bow. Photo by Craig Meyer. ettville.

“We encountered a lot of jakes,” said Norman Wade, a chapter member who helps put together the event each year. “They were following the hens. The big toms, they stayed back.

They knew the party hadn’t started yet.”

In the group, four bagged their first tom (all jakes) and four more had a shot but missed.

“A single mom and her son on were on their first hunt,” Wade said. “The son shot right over the top of the bird, but they were really excited.”

Another young man was with Wade.

“We couldn’t even make it to the blind,” he said. “We stopped in the wood line and called one to 15 yards. I used a soft purr — he walked right up to us.”

Jeff Lynch of Katy got his first bird during the opening weekend.

“I saw a pile of them,” he said. “There were some nice toms but none of the toms came close enough.”

Four jakes came in just before sunset, and Lynch bagged his first Rio Grande turkey.

“He isn’t a monster but I’m excited about it,” he said. “I’m definitely hooked on calling turkeys now.”

LSONews.com

DOUBLING DOWN: Gaines Slade proposed to his fiancé, Jana Lee, after bagging a nice tom. Photo by Gaines Slade.

Systems TV show, so she was used to being in front of the camera,” he said. “I had her hold the bird on her knee to get a good shot for the camera. She was getting tired of holding the bird — she said it was heavy — but she stayed with it. When I went to adjust the bird and tail for the camera — that’s when I got her.”

With Jana posed with a Rio Grande turkey on her knee, Slade kneeled and popped the question, on video, of course, and her reaction was caught on film.

“She didn’t even know I had been ring shopping,” Slade said.

The couple didn’t make it out for the Sunday hunt.

“After we drank two bottles of champagne the night before, we stayed in,” Slade said.

The marriage date hasn’t been set, but will be next year.

“But not in one of the hunting seasons,” Slade said.

Checking feeder batteries Continued from page 4

ohmmeter and read 14.75.

After checking all of the connections, the hunter called Rick Merritt of Outback Feeders, who told him the meter doesn’t always tell the whole story and he may want to replace the battery.

Stan Chism of West Texas Feeder Supply said checking the battery without taking it off of the solar panel will give you a false reading.

“If you can keep it off of the panel for a day, you’ll get a really accurate reading,” Chism said. “Another way is to take the battery to another feeder and try it.”

Chism has experienced the frustration of having a battery let him down after a reading showed it was at full power.

“I had one that read 16 for a year,” he said. “It was deader than a doornail.”

Chism recommended an additional sure-fire step to get a true reading.

“Always test the battery under a load,” he said. “Remove it from the solar panel and hit the test button on the feeder. If the battery is dying, it will drop down on the meter.

That will tell you. It’s similar to testing a battery on your truck; start it up and watch the reading.”

Chism keeps records of when he replaces batteries, but doesn’t replace them on a set schedule.

“I replace them when they’re dead,” he said. “Most of them last three to five years. We usually end up replacing between six and 10 of them out of 40 each year.”

He knows others that don’t want to take the dead-battery risk.

“There are people that buy new batteries from me each year,” he said. “One guy said he didn’t want a $20 battery screwing up his hunt.”

Quick start leads to TXTT win After nearly ideal conditions at the first two Texas Team Trail Presented by Cabela’s events of the 2016 season, a high-pressure cold front arrived just in time for the event at Richland Chambers Reservoir. With temperatures barely reaching 60 degrees and a brisk north wind gusting up to 30 mph, bass fishing was more of a chore than a pleasure.

Dennis Matlock and Don McFarlin got going early, taking advantage of a small feeding window to put 25 pounds in the boat. Despite not getting a bite for the last five hours of the tournament, the two won by nearly a 3-pound margin.

“Last night we talked about the cold front and what it would do to the frog bite, which was how we were catching them in practice,” said Matlock. “So we decided to switch to a Craw Worm and a Brush Hog.” The two started in a pocket on the south end of the lake where they had located a few spawning bass and quickly caught all of their fish.

“They were on beds, but we weren’t sight-fishing,” Matlock said. “The fish were shallow, I mean real shallow — like 12 or 14 inches. We were fishing these shorter weeds — throwing into the pockets.”

Matlock and McFarlin won a Triton 189 TRX with a 150-horsepower Mercury outboard.

Randy Millender and Ricky Cannon finished second with 22.65 pounds, followed by Jeff Stevens and Brian Clark with 22.59 pounds.

—TXTT

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 15

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Page 16

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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NATIONAL Dogs sniff out snapper Alabama’s Marine Resource Department has trained two spaniels to detect fish or fillets illegally stored on boats. The department noticed a growing problem of fisherman trying to smuggle fish because they’re unhappy with the shorter seasons and smaller bag limits.

The dogs finished training in February.

—AMRD

Record whitetail harvests in Idaho

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Idaho hunters had with the highest all-time whitetail harvest and increased deer and elk harvests over 2014.

Hunters took an estimated 30,568 whitetails in 2015, topping the 1996 record of 29,800. The combined estimated mule deer and whitetail harvest was 68,764, which exceeded the 2014 harvest of 61,200, and it was the highest deer harvest since 1991. The mule deer harvest was also 5,200 more than in 2014.

Overall success rate for deer hunters in 2015 was 45 percent.

Elk hunters took 24,543 elk and exceeding the 2014 harvest of 20,700. Hunter success was 27 percent.

Big-game harvests have been trending upward thanks in part to several consecutive mild winters and growing hunter numbers, including nonresidents.

—Idaho Department of Fish and Game

New director at Minnesota DNR Jim Leach, a veteran natural resources manager, will be the next director of the agency’s Fish and Wildlife Division.

For the past 16 years, Leach has been the wildlife refuge supervisor for Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in that agency’s Midwest regional office in Bloomington, Minnesota.

—MNDNR

Clunn becomes oldest Bassmaster winner Rick Clunn claimed his first B.A.S.S. victory in the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville on November 5, 1976. On Sunday, he won for the 15th time on the B.A.S.S. circuit.

The Missouri angler, who will turn 70 in July, caught five bass that weighed 19 pounds during Sunday’s championship round and won the Bassmaster Elite at St. Johns River presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels easily with a four-day weight of 81 pounds, 15 ounces. The win was bolstered by a monumental catch of 31 pounds, 7 ounces during Saturday’s semifinal round.

Though he had varied results during the four-day event, he said Clunn used the same bait almost the whole time — a homemade bladed jig with a green skirt and a white Luck-E-Strike swimbait for a trailer. He calls the bait the “Trickster 2,” and he believed it would work after watching some local anglers fishing with live shiners earlier in the week.

—B.A.S.S.

Money available for regional conservation projects USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced the availability of up to $260 million for partner proposals to improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat and protect agricultural viability. The funding is being made available through NRCS’ innovative Regional Conservation Partnership Program and applicants must be able to match the federal award with private or local funds.

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP investments of nearly $600 million have driven 199 partner-led projects. The program leverages local leadership to establish partnerships that can include private companies, local and tribal governments, universities, nonprofits and other nongovernment partners to work with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners on regional landscape and watershed scale conservation solutions.

—USDA

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Fate of dead fish Continued from page 8

While oxygen remains in the swim bladder after a fish dies, there’s not enough to bob it to the surface.

However, as both Fisher and Whisenant noted, additional gases are released during decomposition. The gases fill the body cavity and the belly “becomes a guts-filled balloon and the fish floats to the surface,” as biologist Mark Boriek, of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, so delicately describes it at LiveScience.com.

The buildup of gases isn’t the only factor, though, in determining when a dead fish floats to the surface, say after a bass tournament, where there’s a certain percentage of “tournament mortality” despite anglers’ best efforts.

Water temperature also plays a role.

“If it’s a warm summer’s day, it’s not going to take 24 hours,” Whisenant said. “But if it’s a cold day in January, it could take a whole day before you see the body on top of the water. Things decay faster at warmer temperatures.”

And it’s a safe bet the number of floating fish won’t reflect the true fatality numbers.

“A bass can swim off and look all right and later die,” said TPWD biologist Mukhtar Farooqi. “Delayed mortality. And once on the bottom, there can be scavenging, by turtles, for sure, and other scavengers such as crayfish.”

That settles that. Right?

No. Not all fish have swim bladders. Sharks and rays don’t. Neither do adult flounder.

Without a swim bladder, sharks, for example, rely on their pectoral fins to generate lift in the water, in much the same way an airplane’s wings do when slicing through air, according to the American Museum of Natural History website. It adds that sharks’ large livers contain a high proportion of oil. Given the oil is lighter than water, sharks are provided with further buoyancy.

Lack of a swim bladder allows a shark to travel up and down through the ocean quickly, without changes in the water pressure literally causing it to implode. A bony fish fleeing for its life might lose it in the same circumstances since its swim bladder probably wouldn’t be able to compress or decompress quickly enough.

“Rays and flounder live on the bottom of the ocean,” TPWD’s Fisher said. “They don’t want to float. When they die, they sink. Sharks are pretty much doomed to spend their whole life swimming, otherwise they sink.”

Finally, to further muddy the water as far as sinking versus floating, fish with swim bladders can occasionally be found on the bottom after dying, according to Fisher.

“If they’re in deep enough water when they die, they won’t generate enough gas to ascend back to the surface,” he said.

LSONews.com

E.V. Spence holding fish after long dry spells Continued from page 11

few largemouth bass,” Ingle said.

“We don’t target (bass) with the gill nets but the biggest were up to 17 inches.”

On the upper end of the lake, the nets found 54 catfish in five nets in the turbid water.

E.V. Spence is not completely healthy — Ingle reported only one bluegill and no white bass in their surveys thus far — but this did not surprise him given lake’s on-againoff-again struggle with golden algae.

“Our last water sample we did take last week came back negative for golden algae for the first time in a few years,” Ingles said.

Ingle encouraged anglers to give E.V. Spence a try in the next few months.

“We don’t know when the next golden algae outbreak will happen, so go ahead and enjoy the fish,” he said.

The fisheries team in San Angelo has listed both lakes to receive stocked fish from the Texas hatcheries this year. Lakes receive fish based on a statewide list that ranks each lake based on a list of detailed and specific criteria. “New” fisheries, like O.C. Fisher, are higher up on the priority list and Ingle is confident it will be one of the first lakes in the state to get stocked.

As for E.V. Spence, the biologist isn’t sure.

“It is competing with all the other lakes in Texas,” Ingle said.

Locals remain optimistic about fishing on E.V. Spence, which remains more than 55 feet low, but a far cry from the low lake levels in past years.

“The fishing is really improved, there are some people getting down there right now,” said Angele Brewer, who helps her parents operate the Wildcat RV Park on E.V. Spence. “I don’t think people realize how full the lake is — I expect this summer to be a really nice summer for boating and fishing.”

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 17

Stripers are big, not as plentiful Continued from page 8

spawn also was poor.

The remaining fish, most longer than 20 inches, are larger, fat and have plenty to eat, making fishing for them more of a challenge.

“The remaining fish in the lake are currently obese, and not easily intrigued by live bait or a lure,” Bennett said. “The mild winter and abundant new nutrients washing into the lake have caused the shad population to experience a population boom.”

Carey agreed.

“The big stripers have belly fat like a blue catfish and I’ve never seen shad like this,” he said.

Although Bennett would like to know the answer as much as the guides and fishermen, he said it’s impossible to tell what percentage of stripers went over the spillway following the floods.

“Trying to give an estimate on the number of fish that may have gone downstream during flooding would be pure speculation given the data we collect,” he said. “Theoretically, if we conducted population estimates by tagging thousands of fish and resampling immediately before and after the flood events, we could offer some sort of estimate. However, we can’t predict a flood is about to occur with enough notice.”

Carey, a 22-year veteran of fishing and guiding on the lake, doesn’t believe a large percentage of stripers went over the spillway.

“We have 600 miles of shoreline,” he said.

“All of those fish don’t go over the spillway.

But lots of fish ran up the flooded creeks and got trapped. And I know half the fish are here, we were catching 200 a day in November.”

There was some good news from the sur-

R

veys.

“It was apparent that striped bass successfully spawned in 2015, and we anticipate 2016 will produce a strong year class,” Bennett said.

White bass numbers also are up on the lake.

“The numbers are higher than we have seen in the last 20 years,” Bennett said. “Approximately 80 percent of the white bass were 10 inches or longer, and they weigh 11 percent more than normal.”

Carey said the sand bass fishing is off the charts, but the fish are mostly small and likely washed in from other lakes.

“And we’ll know how good the spawn is at the end of June,” he said. “If it’s good, we’ll see acres of 6-inch stripers.”

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Page 18

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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HEROES

Mason Sims, 16, dropped this Concho County buck over Christmas break with his Marlin .30-30 rifle at 75 yards.

Melissa Bounds, on her first trip offshore, landed this red snapper on a jig.

The fish was released.

Landon Patterson, 3, caught his first keeper redfish this month while fishing with his mother, Dusty. He caught the 24-inch red in the Packery Flats with Capt. Ryan Sinclair.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

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

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

Guadalupe Lopez Jr., of Alice, shot his personal-best buck in December with his 7mm-08.

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Rod Wooley of Alvord shot this East African Sitatunga in Uganda.

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

Floods disburse giant salvinia in East Texas Lone Star Outdoor News Anglers who braved the conditions at Toledo Bend Reservoir after the recent heavy rains and flooding noticed clumps floating across the lake and into the coves and creeks.

Lone Star Outdoor News’ Mike Hughs fished in a Century Bass Club tournament on March 12 and 13, and noticed the clumps.

“It was giant salvinia,” he said. “It was all over the place.”

Shawn Malone, an aquatic control specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Aquatic Habitat Enhancement program in Brookeland, said giant salvinia has been in the lake for years.

He wasn’t surprised to hear anglers were spotting the invasive plants floating across the huge reservoir.

“It builds up in the creeks and a big rain blows it out to the main lake and scatters it through the system,” he said. “The water pushes it into the wood lines and sloughs, then it is there for a nursery area and it keeps growing.”

Last year, Malone said about 4,000 acres of the reservoir had giant salvinia. The amount drops each winter, and currently about 1,500 acres are covered.

“Coming out of winter, with the rains, it is scattered and it’s hard to judge how much we have,” Malone said. “Later in the summer, we’ll start seeing large mats in the backs of creeks.”

One thing is certain; the giant salvinia will grow, and grow.

“The stuff grows so fast, and the peak times are from July until November,” Malone said. “It doubles in size every seven to 10 days.”

The plant, actually a floating fern from southern Brazil, is a nemesis for biologists attempting to control it, and it’s bad for the fish. It outgrows native aquatic plants, blocks out sunlight and its decomposition lowers dissolved oxygen levels. According to TPWD, it was first discovered in Toledo Bend in 1998.

While some of the plants that make their way into the backwaters will die when water levels drop, the disbursement of the plants is likely to cause headaches for those trying to control it by spraying or introducing the salvinia weevil that feeds on the plants.

“We’re raising the weevils at TPWD and putting them out at Toledo, Caddo and Sam Rayburn,” Malone said. “Farther south, we see better results. At Caddo, the results aren’t as good; it knocks them back, but we almost have to start over every year.”

Malone said the weevils have some catching up to do, since they are tropical in nature and have yet to adapt to Texas’ colder waters.

“The weevils are starting to become more cold tolerant,” he said. “It takes time for them to adapt and will take several generations for them to fully adapt to the colder environment. They are becoming more hardy, but the salvinia has already adapted.

“It’s a vicious cycle.”

March 25, 2016

Page 19

Spring break drum Continued from page 1

that is a continuation of Caney Creek crossing the Intracoastal Waterway and out to the Gulf of Mexico giving boats access to the Gulf Coast. But all have one thing in common — deep water and lots of current. That’s the ticket for catching 30- to 45-pound black drum during their spring spawning run.

The big black drum gather in schools to spawn and are typically big and chunky fish in the 30-plus-pound range. They don’t jump or make long runs. But one thing is certain — they can bend rods and put up one heck of battle, making them a favorite targe for lots of Texas anglers looking to catch big fish.

“The kids love it,” Jerry said. “It’s easy fishing and if you hit the run of drum at the right time it’s nonstop fun. They aren’t too good to eat, but watching these boys catch them is what it’s all about.”

The largest black drum on record weighed 146 pounds. The Texas state record weighed 81 pounds and was caught on June 19, 1988 in the Gulf of Mexico by Wally Escobar Jr. Believe it or not, these fish are members of the croaker family and related to the Atlantic croaker, redfish and speckled trout.

Bottom feeders, black drum find their food by feel and smell. One of the top baits is a half of a fresh blue crab. Soured shrimp or Spanish sardines also work.

“There is nothing tricky about catching the big black drum right about now,” Coffey said. “It’s all about fishing something smelly on bottom. At times it’s a waiting game. But if you hit the right spot with a good moving current you can catch and release quite a few in a hurry.”

One of Coffey’s best big drum rigs starts with braided line that is threaded through a 2- to 3-ounce egg weight. The tag end is tied to an 80-pound test barrel swivel. An 18-inch, 50-pound test monofilament leader is tied to a 4/0 to 7/0 wide gap hook.

“That rig is nothing fancy, but it allows a drum to pick up the bait, and move without any resistance,” he said. “Drum will pick up a bait and kind of chew on it.

You want to give them enough time to get the whole bait down before setting the hook.”

One other little trick is to put on enough weight to allow the bait to wash along bottom with the current. That’s a good way to find scattered fish.

Black drum over 30 inches must be released, although one fish per day measuring more than 52 inches may be kept.

Page 20

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases

Last

New

First

Full

Mar. 31

Apr. 7

Apr. 13

Apr. 22

Solunar Sun times Moon times

Houston

Dallas

2016 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar./Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2016 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar./Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu 01 Fri 02 Sat 03 Sun 04 Mon 05 Tue 06 Wed 07 Thu 08 Fri

25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu 01 Fri 02 Sat 03 Sun 04 Mon 05 Tue 06 Wed 07 Thu 08 Fri

7:20 1:09 8:07 1:56 8:57 2:46 9:48 3:36 10:39 4:27 11:31 5:19 ----- 6:10 12:48 7:01 1:37 7:51 2:26 8:39 3:14 9:28 4:03 10:16 4:53 11:07 5:47 ----6:46 12:31

7:41 1:31 8:29 2:18 9:19 3:08 10:11 3:59 11:03 4:51 11:56 5:43 12:23 6:36 1:14 7:27 2:04 8:17 2:53 9:06 3:41 9:55 4:30 10:44 5:21 11:35 6:16 12:30 7:14 1:00

07:18 07:17 07:16 07:14 07:13 07:12 07:11 07:10 07:08 07:07 07:06 07:05 07:04 07:03 07:01

07:35 07:35 07:36 07:37 07:37 07:38 07:38 07:39 07:39 07:40 07:41 07:41 07:42 07:42 07:43

9:41p 8:38a 10:33p 9:13a 11:25p 9:51a NoMoon 10:31a 12:17a 11:14a 1:08a 12:01p 1:58a 12:53p 2:48a 1:48p 3:35a 2:48p 4:22a 3:51p 5:07a 4:56p 5:51a 6:02p 6:35a 7:09p 7:20a 8:17p 8:06a 9:25p

7:25 1:15 8:13 2:02 9:02 2:51 9:53 3:42 10:45 4:33 11:37 5:24 12:04 6:16 12:53 7:07 1:43 7:56 2:32 8:45 3:20 9:33 4:08 10:22 4:59 11:13 5:53 ----6:51 12:37

7:47 8:35 9:25 10:16 11:09 ----12:28 1:20 2:10 2:59 3:47 4:36 5:27 6:21 7:20

1:36 2:24 3:14 4:05 4:57 5:49 6:41 7:33 8:23 9:12 10:01 10:50 11:41 12:35 1:06

07:23 07:22 07:21 07:19 07:18 07:17 07:15 07:14 07:13 07:12 07:10 07:09 07:08 07:06 07:05

07:41 07:42 07:42 07:43 07:44 07:44 07:45 07:46 07:47 07:47 07:48 07:49 07:49 07:50 07:51

9:50p 8:41a 10:43p 9:16a 11:35p 9:52a NoMoon 10:31a 12:28a 11:14a 1:19a 12:01p 2:10a 12:53p 2:59a 1:49p 3:46a 2:50p 4:32a 3:54p 5:16a 5:00p 5:59a 6:07p 6:41a 7:16p 7:24a 8:25p 8:09a 9:35p

San Antonio

Amarillo

2016 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar./Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2016 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar./Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu 01 Fri 02 Sat 03 Sun 04 Mon 05 Tue 06 Wed 07 Thu 08 Fri

25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31 Thu 01 Fri 02 Sat 03 Sun 04 Mon 05 Tue 06 Wed 07 Thu 08 Fri

7:32 1:22 8:20 2:09 9:09 2:58 10:00 3:49 10:52 4:40 11:44 5:31 12:11 6:23 1:00 7:13 1:50 8:03 2:38 8:52 3:26 9:40 4:15 10:29 5:06 11:20 6:00 ----6:58 12:44

7:54 8:42 9:32 10:23 11:16 ----12:35 1:26 2:16 3:05 3:54 4:43 5:34 6:28 7:27

1:43 2:31 3:21 4:12 5:04 5:56 6:48 7:39 8:30 9:19 10:07 10:56 11:47 12:42 1:12

07:31 07:30 07:28 07:27 07:26 07:25 07:24 07:22 07:21 07:20 07:19 07:18 07:16 07:15 07:14

07:47 07:48 07:49 07:49 07:50 07:50 07:51 07:51 07:52 07:52 07:53 07:53 07:54 07:55 07:55

9:54p 8:51a 10:46p 9:26a 11:38p 10:04a NoMoon 10:44a 12:29a 11:28a 1:20a 12:15p 2:11a 1:07p 3:00a 2:02p 3:48a 3:02p 4:34a 4:04p 5:19a 5:09p 6:04a 6:15p 6:48a 7:22p 7:33a 8:30p 8:19a 9:38p

7:46 1:35 8:33 2:22 9:23 3:11 10:13 4:02 11:05 4:53 11:57 5:45 12:25 6:36 1:14 7:27 2:03 8:16 2:52 9:05 3:40 9:53 4:28 10:42 5:19 11:33 6:13 ----7:12 12:57

8:07 8:55 9:45 10:37 11:29 ----12:49 1:40 2:30 3:19 4:07 4:56 5:47 6:42 7:40

1:56 2:44 3:34 4:25 5:17 6:09 7:02 7:53 8:43 9:32 10:21 11:10 12:01 12:56 1:26

07:43 07:42 07:40 07:39 07:37 07:36 07:34 07:33 07:32 07:30 07:29 07:28 07:26 07:25 07:24

08:02 08:02 08:03 08:04 08:05 08:06 08:06 08:07 08:08 08:09 08:10 08:10 08:11 08:12 08:13

10:14p 9:00a 11:07p 9:33a NoMoon 10:09a NoMoon 10:48a 12:54a 11:30a 1:46a 12:17p 2:36a 1:09p 3:24a 2:06p 4:11a 3:07p 4:56a 4:12p 5:39a 5:19p 6:20a 6:28p 7:02a 7:38p 7:44a 8:48p 8:28a 9:59p

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

Sabine Pass, north Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Time 5:46 AM 6:28 AM 12:23 AM 1:07 AM 1:56 AM 2:51 AM 3:52 AM 4:56 AM 5:59 AM 12:03 AM 1:18 AM 2:21 AM 3:20 AM 4:18 AM 5:17 AM

Port O’Connor Height 1.5H 1.5H 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.2L 0.2L 1.4H 1.6H 1.7H 1.9H 2.0H 2.0H

Time 11:37 AM 12:10 PM 7:16 AM 8:14 AM 9:26 AM 10:55 AM 12:15 PM 1:07 PM 1:44 PM 6:58 AM 7:53 AM 8:45 AM 9:35 AM 10:24 AM 11:13 AM

Height 0.7L 0.9L 1.5H 1.5H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.6H 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.4L 0.6L 0.8L

Time 5:22 PM 5:33 PM 12:45 PM 1:25 PM 2:16 PM 3:36 PM

Height 1.3H 1.3H 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L 1.3L

Time 11:44 PM

Height 0.3L

5:39 5:41 5:45 5:56

1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H

6:30 7:02 2:15 2:43 3:11 3:40 4:10 4:41

1.3L 1.2L 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H

10:04 PM

1.3H

7:37 PM 8:15 PM 8:56 PM 9:40 PM 10:25 PM 11:14 PM

1.0L 0.8L 0.5L 0.3L 0.1L -0.1L

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

PM PM PM PM

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Time 6:20 AM 12:01 AM 12:34 AM 1:13 AM 1:56 AM 2:39 AM 3:26 AM 4:39 AM 6:07 AM 7:02 AM 1:06 AM 2:44 AM 4:02 AM 4:57 AM 5:50 AM

Height 1.5H 0.3L 0.3L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 1.4H 1.6H 1.7H 1.9H 2.0H

Time 12:11 PM 7:22 AM 8:27 AM 9:18 AM 10:08 AM 11:11 AM 12:16 PM 1:04 PM 1:46 PM 2:25 PM 7:51 AM 8:46 AM 9:50 AM 10:48 AM 11:37 AM

Height 0.8L 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 0.3L 0.4L 0.6L 0.7L 0.9L

Time 5:18 PM 12:52 PM 1:38 PM 2:20 PM 2:57 PM

Height 1.2H 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L

6:52 7:12 7:42 3:04 3:37 4:03 4:24 4:43

1.3L 1.1L 0.9L 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H

9:40 PM 11:15 PM

1.3H 1.3H

8:21 PM 9:10 PM 10:01 PM 10:48 PM 11:33 PM

0.7L 0.5L 0.3L 0.0L -0.1L

Height 0.4L 0.4L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.5H

Time 6:33 AM 7:25 AM 8:37 AM 9:56 AM 11:27 AM 1:14 PM 2:04 PM 2:39 PM 3:02 PM 3:12 PM 8:55 AM 9:56 AM 11:00 AM 11:56 AM 12:50 PM

Height 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 0.4L 0.5L 0.6L 0.7L 0.9L

Time 12:59 PM 1:07 PM 1:21 PM

Height 0.8L 0.9L 1.0L

Time 5:45 PM 5:47 PM 5:48 PM

Height 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H

9:18 3:27 3:50 4:16 4:42 5:08

0.9L 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H

9:31 PM 9:53 PM 10:32 PM 11:16 PM

0.8L 0.7L 0.5L 0.3L

Height 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.1L 0.2L 1.3H 1.4H 1.6H 1.8H 1.9H

Time 12:11 PM 1:00 PM 2:19 PM 8:40 AM 9:49 AM 11:01 AM 12:05 PM 12:57 PM 1:38 PM 2:13 PM 7:39 AM 8:42 AM 9:44 AM 10:47 AM 11:54 AM

Height 0.8L 0.9L 1.0L 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 0.2L 0.3L 0.4L 0.6L 0.8L

Time 5:02 PM 5:12 PM 5:05 PM

Time 11:22 PM 11:49 PM

Height 0.3L 0.3L

Height 0.4L 0.4L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.2L 0.2L 1.1H 1.2H 0.9L 0.8L 0.6L 0.5L 0.3L

Time 8:56 AM 9:46 AM 10:46 AM 12:06 PM 10:15 PM 6:57 PM 6:37 PM 6:38 PM 10:47 AM 11:40 AM 4:38 AM 5:45 AM 6:49 AM 7:52 AM 8:56 AM

Height 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 1.0H 1.1H 1.1H 1.2H 0.1L 0.2L 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

Time 5:22 5:33 5:35 5:25

PM PM PM PM

Height 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H

Time 12:10 AM 12:35 AM 1:09 AM 1:52 AM 2:43 AM 3:36 AM 4:31 AM 5:47 AM 7:07 AM 8:02 AM 1:36 AM 2:49 AM 4:01 AM 5:08 AM 6:10 AM

PM PM PM PM PM PM

Freeport Harbor Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Time 5:54 AM 6:44 AM 7:39 AM 12:21 AM 1:01 AM 1:51 AM 2:52 AM 4:04 AM 5:20 AM 6:32 AM 12:45 AM 1:59 AM 3:07 AM 4:13 AM 5:18 AM

Time 2:39 AM 2:58 AM 3:32 AM 4:18 AM 5:20 AM 6:52 AM 8:37 AM 9:48 AM 1:59 AM 3:24 AM 12:05 AM 12:25 AM 12:43 AM 1:09 AM 1:43 AM

Time 8:15 AM 10:15 AM 12:05 PM 1:34 PM 2:59 PM 4:16 PM 5:18 PM 6:08 PM 6:46 PM 7:10 PM 7:19 PM 11:17 AM 12:14 PM 1:16 PM

Height 0.5H 0.5H 0.6H 0.6H 0.7H 0.7H 0.7H 0.7H 0.7H 0.7H 0.6H 0.3L 0.4L 0.6L

Time 2:04 PM

Height 0.4L

Time 5:10 PM

Height 0.4H

10:11 PM 6:06 PM 4:42 PM 3:28 PM

0.6L 0.5H 0.5H 0.6H

10:31 PM 11:10 PM 11:56 PM

0.5L 0.3L 0.2L

Time 1:26 AM 2:30 AM 3:28 AM 4:23 AM 5:18 AM 6:14 AM 7:11 AM 8:09 AM 9:05 AM 12:35 AM 1:56 AM 3:35 AM 5:39 AM 8:17 AM 1:02 AM

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

Time 9:38 AM 6:36 PM 7:06 PM 7:45 PM 8:33 PM 9:26 PM 10:24 PM 11:26 PM

Height 0.2H 0.2H 0.2H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H

Time 1:40 PM

Height 0.2L

Time 6:16 PM

Height 0.2H

9:59 AM 10:50 AM 11:37 AM 12:15 PM 12:23 PM 4:09 PM

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

5:47 PM 4:50 PM 4:12 PM

0.2H 0.3H 0.3H

10:13 PM 11:48 PM

0.2L 0.2L

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Height 1.3H 1.3H 1.4H 0.1L 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L 0.0L -0.1L 0.0L 1.1H 1.3H 1.4H 1.6H 1.8H

Time 11:47 AM 12:34 PM

Height 0.7L 0.9L

Time 4:05 PM 3:50 PM

Height 0.9H 1.0H

Time 10:52 PM 11:25 PM

Height 0.2L 0.2L

8:59 AM 10:23 AM 11:38 AM 12:34 PM 1:16 PM 1:49 PM 2:17 PM 7:16 AM 8:16 AM 9:16 AM 10:16 AM 11:19 AM

1.4H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 0.1L 0.3L 0.5L 0.8L 1.1L

8:12 2:38 2:55 3:08 3:16 3:21

0.9L 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H

8:21 PM 8:44 PM 9:15 PM 9:51 PM 10:33 PM

0.8L 0.6 0.4L 0.2L 0.0L

Height 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.2L 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.5H

Time 11:46 AM 12:31 PM 11:58 PM

Height 0.8L 0.9L 0.2L

Time 3:52 PM 3:34 PM

Height 1.0H 1.0H

Time 10:52 PM 11:23 PM

Height 0.3L 0.2L

10:23 AM 11:40 AM 12:37 PM 1:18 PM 1:50 PM 2:15 PM 2:33 PM 8:14 AM 9:16 AM 10:19 AM 11:26 AM

1.3H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 0.3L 0.5L 0.6L 0.8L

7:58 8:05 2:46 2:54 2:58 2:57

1.1L 0.9L 1.2H 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H

11:37 PM

1.2H

8:29 PM 9:02 PM 9:40 PM 10:24 PM

0.6L 0.3L 0.0L -0.3L

Time 5:39 AM 6:38 AM 7:43 AM 12:04 AM 12:50 AM 1:46 AM 2:50 AM 4:00 AM 5:09 AM 6:14 AM 12:02 AM 1:35 AM 2:54 AM 4:07 AM 5:19 AM

PM PM PM PM PM PM

South Padre Island Height 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H

8:49 PM 8:37 PM 2:44 PM 3:12 PM 3:37 PM 4:01 PM 4:23 PM

1.1L 1.0L 1.5H 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 1.2H

11:14 PM

1.1H

8:45 PM 9:04 PM 9:33 PM 10:08 PM 10:49 PM

0.9L 0.7L 0.4L 0.2L 0.0L

Time 2:32 PM 2:43 PM 3:03 PM 3:14 PM

Height 0.6L 0.7L 0.8L 0.9L

Time 8:20 PM 8:41 PM 9:07 PM 9:38 PM

Height 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H

11:12 PM 6:51 PM 6:56 PM 12:30 PM 1:18 PM 2:06 PM 2:57 PM 3:55 PM

1.0L 1.1H 1.1H 0.2L 0.3L 0.5L 0.7L 0.8L

11:40 PM

1.0L

6:55 7:00 7:10 7:22 7:34

1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H

Rollover Pass Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

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

Port Aransas

San Luis Pass Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Rockport

Time 12:48 AM 1:18 AM 1:55 AM 2:38 AM 3:30 AM 4:32 AM 5:45 AM 7:02 AM 8:17 AM 9:22 AM 10:21 AM 3:17 AM 5:12 AM 6:59 AM 9:07 AM

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Time 5:41 AM 6:38 AM 7:43 AM 8:58 AM 12:42 AM 1:34 AM 2:36 AM 3:46 AM 4:57 AM 6:05 AM 7:11 AM 1:19 AM 2:43 AM 4:01 AM 5:16 AM

PM PM PM PM PM PM

East Matagorda

PM PM PM PM PM

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Time 7:46 AM 12:32 AM 3:02 AM 3:15 AM 3:44 AM 4:25 AM 6:35 AM 6:56 AM 7:23 AM 12:22 AM 1:02 AM 1:38 AM 4:57 AM 5:45 AM 6:54 AM

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

Time 12:03 PM 12:49 PM 1:22 PM 1:55 PM 2:39 PM 4:01 PM 4:50 PM 5:24 PM 7:59 AM 10:16 AM 10:40 AM 10:54 AM 11:16 AM

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

Time

10:01 PM 5:54 PM 4:15 PM 4:44 PM 2:40 PM 3:36 PM

Height

0.3L 0.4H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H

Time

10:28 10:38 10:32 10:55 11:24

PM PM PM PM PM

Height

0.3L 0.3L 0.2L 0.1L 0.1L

Texas Coast Tides

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

Date Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 01 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6 Apr 7 Apr 8

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 21

PRODUCTS WEE-CRAWFISH: The Rebel Wee Crawfish is the original realistic crawfish crankbait. No other crankbait mimics the fleeing action of a crawfish like a Rebel Craw. It’s the super-realistic body and paint scheme combined with the distinct pulsating action that makes it irresistible to fish. Effective on largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleyes, all species of trout and other gamefish. The 2-inch lure costs about $6. It has a cranking depth of 5 to 7 feet.

>>

GAMEHIDE ELIMITICK PANTS, SHIRT: Gamehide’s proven ElimiTick Five Pocket Pant ($79.95) and Long Sleeve Tech Shirt ($49.95) are now available in the popular Mossy Oak Obsession camo. A favorite of spring turkey hunters, Mossy Oak Obsession blends in perfectly with the spring woods. With Gamehide’s Elimitick clothing incorporating Insect Shield Technology, you can protect yourself from ticks, chiggers and mosquitos by simply wearing it. There is no special care required and the garments will protect you from the nasty insects for the entire life of the garment. With more than 300,000 tick-related illnesses in the U.S. last year, every turkey hunter needs to take precautions when heading into the field. Gamehide’s ElimiTick Five Pocket Pant, made from Clever Cloth fabric feels like a cotton pant but performs like a performance poly. It’s the ultimate turkey hunting pant with all the right pockets and, most importantly, will help protect you from ticks, including those that cause Lyme disease. Team it up with our ElimiTick Long Sleeve Tech shirt made from lightweight wicking poly to keep you cool and comfortable and you are set for the spring turkey woods. Worry about that longbeard’s next move, not ticks this spring — wear ElimiTick.

(888) 267-3591 www.gamehide.com

KAYAK SERIES RODS: McCain Hi-Performance knows what serious kayak fishermen want. Its Kayak Series rods are light, sensitive, powerful and durable. Actions and lengths were fine-tuned with the input from kayak fishing experts like famed outdoor writer Joey Monteleone, Ty Southerland, host of the wildly popular 30MilesOut and fishing tackle expert and avid kayaker Vance Zahorski, inventor of Line Cutterz. Constructed of the finest American-made graphite, Fuji reel seats, Super-Slick guides and premium quality cork. BTB Rods are S Glass with EVA grips. All expertly crafted to our exacting specifications. They even have a lanyard attachment point. Each Kayak Series rod comes with an exclusive carbon fiber and lime green Line Cutterz ring, rod teather and custom Rod Glove rod protector. And they’re really cool looking, too.

(979) 776-7777 www.mccainfishing.com

>>

>>

>>

(800) 531-1201 www.rebellures.com

CREE XPG II R5 SUPER BRIGHT 3W LED: Cyclops, an innovator in personal and field lighting solutions, continues to light the way for outdoor professionals and weekend warriors who demand reliability and performance in headlamps, spotlights and specialty lighting. Cyclops launches their new 300 Lumen, Rechargeable Waterproof LED Spotlight that is versatile enough for the outdoorsman and their many lighting needs. The CYC-300WP was strategically engineered to be fully immersible down to 1 meter in water and its lightweight construction allows it to float if accidentally dropped in water. Cylcops ultra lightweight CYC-300WP is armed with Tri-Mode Illumination that boasts three setting features with options of high, low, and red LED S.O.S. This multipurpose spotlight will ensure light in dark places as well as safety if needed, with a rescue whistle attached for extra precaution in unpredictable situations. The top adjustable bracket can be used as a stand or an additional handle, adding to the multiple uses this light provides. The magnetic switch with locking function provides hands-free use. This light has an impressive burn time of 3 hours on high, 6.5 hours on low and 8 hours on S.O.S. This rechargeable, waterproof spotlight is powered by rechargeable IS1P Lithium batteries (3.7V 2200mAh) that are included with purchase. The MSRP is $44.99.

(877) 269-8490 www.gsmoutdoors.com

Page 22

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

INDUSTRY

OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Simpkins joins St. Croix Rods

By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 26

A veteran of the fishing and hunting industries, Jesse Simpkins will be joining the St. Croix team, taking on the role of director of marketing.

Max Marine buys anchor company Max Marine Products, LLC of Reedville, Virginia acquired SuperMAX Anchors from owner and inventor Andy Peabody.

Costa CEO retires Chas MacDonald, CEO, will retire on April 30. Since he joined Costa in 2003, the company’s sales increased from $10 million to $150 million.

Stealth Cam upgrades app Stealth Cam has released a major upgrade to the GXW Wireless App – Stealth Cam Remote 2.0. By integrating Google Drive into the app, users can now set up automatic sharing to unlimited friends. Users may view images directly on a laptop or PC for desktop viewing.

The upgrade is free.

Dynamic Sponsorships adds George ACROSS

DOWN

1. Amount of game or fish allowed 6. A young deer 9. To remove a fired cartridge 10. Wild one is hunted in Hawaii 11. The wingshooter’s quarry 12. A type of gunsight 13. Gun-firing lever 14. A reticle on a scope 15. Oxidation on gun parts 17. Good lure for redfish 19. A species of fish 20. To stalk a game 22. Keeps the catch fresh 24. A salmon 26. An underwater hazard 28. Type of stand for still hunting 29. The antlers 30. A bullet code 32. A type of fly lure 33. Arrows to the bowhunter 34. A type of turkey call 37. Bighorn, Dall 38. In a hunter’s snack pack 40. A type of sunfish 45. A species of partridge 46. Good hunter takes TLC of this 47. A type of hunting boat 48. Formation flyers

1. A good breed of gundog 2. Title earned by excellent shooters 3. Strength of a fishline 4. Deer meat 5. A large caribou 6. Home of the Key deer 7. Underwater patch that conceals fish 8. A big game 15. The buck mating season 16. Tasty method of preparing carp 17. To field dress game 18. The slot for the bowstring 21. To bag game for the fur 23. The fur, hide hunter 25. Term for a man-made deer trail 26. Term for design of floating fly 27. Sage, ruffed, sharp-tailed 31. A one-man float tube 35. To analyze a game trail 36. Shot that misses the target 38. Popular baits for big bass 39. Recoil from fired gun 41. Good shooters _____ the trigger slowly 42. Field habitat preferred by quail 43. Shell that fails to fire 44. A type of fishing lure

FOR THE TABLE

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

Andy George, former marketing manager, Partnerships and Business Development for Bass Pro Shops, has joined Dynamic Sponsorships as director of new business development.

Nature’s Calling

Turkey-bacon ranch pizza 1 premade packaged pizza crust 1 1/4 cups ranch dressing 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp. Italian seasoning 1 1/2 cups cooked, chunked wild turkey 1 cup Italian blend cheeses 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon 1 medium-size ripe tomato, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pizza crust on pizza pan and evenly spread ranch dressing over crust. Add parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning to pizza. Spread the chunked turkey over the pizza and then cover in crumbled bacon. Add sliced tomato on top of everything and then bake for 20-30 minutes.

—Sportsmen’s Alliance

New Evinrude dealers BRP has expanded its Evinrude sales network by signing 20 new Evinrude dealers in the final quarter of fiscal 2016.

Yamaha Marine promotes Boehman Yamaha Marine Group today announced Bill Boehman was named vice president of the Yamaha Marine Group, Operations and Manufacturing. Boehman also became vice president of Skeeter Products, Inc.

C-MAP acquired by Digital Marine Solutions Digital Marine Solutions signed a purchase agreement to acquire the marine division of Jeppesen, subject to regulatory approval.

Under the terms of the agreement, the former Jeppesen Marine will operate as a separate entity with its own dedicated resources and will trade under the C-MAP brand name.

New president at Big Rock Sports Andy Melville has been promoted to the newly created position of president of Big Rock Sports.

CAMX purchased The Outdoor Group LLC has purchased America’s Hunting Crossbow Company, CAMX Outdoors.

By Aaron Anderson, For Lone Star Outdoor News

Crispy dill baked crappie Crappie fillets Miracle Whip salad dressing Fresh dill, chopped 4 tbsps. butter 1/2 cup crushed Club crackers Cover bottom of greased baking dish with fillets. Coat tops of fillets with salad dressing.

Sprinkle dill over fillets. Melt butter in a medium-size bowl inside the microwave. Add crushed club crackers to butter

and mix until moist but crumbly. Sprinkle cracker mixture over fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes and use broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to brown tops of fillets.

—Crappie.com

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 23

Page 24

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

DATEBOOK MARCH 26

Coastal Conservation Association Greater Sugar Land Banquet Stafford Centre (832) 863-5417 ccatexas.org

MARCH 30

Coastal Conservation Association Prairie Chapter Banquet Cat Springs Hall (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

Mule Deer Foundation San Antonio Banquet (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org Ducks Unlimited Grapevine Raffle Night Grapevine Craft Brewery (214) 675-0550 duducks.org/Texas

MARCH 31

National Wild Turkey Federation Palo Pinto County Banquet (940) 452-8430 nwtf.org Coastal Conservation Association Colorado Valley Banquet Knights of Columbus Hall, LaGrange (713) 626-4222 Ducks Unlimited Pearland Dinner Knights of Columbus Hall (281) 300-2431 ducks.org/Texas Ducks Unlimited Centex Dinner VFW Post 1820, Temple (254) 289-0121 National Wild Turkey Federation TAMU/Lonestar Longbeards Banquet The Brazos Center, Bryan (281) 841-7695 nwtf.org/events

APRIL 7

Ducks Unlimited Kaufman County Dinner Reunion Ranch, Terrell (469) 719-4909 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 8

Ducks Unlimited Cy Woods High School Dinner Coles Crossing Community Center, Cypress (281) 213-3301 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 9

Ducks Unlimited Texas State University Dinner Hill Country Event Center (979) 645-1246 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 15-16

Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association Spring Rendezvous Brown County Fairgrounds (806) 847-7562 txtrappers.com

APRIL 16

Dallas Woods and Waters Club Annual Banquet Southfork Ranch, Parker (214) 570-8700 dwwcc.org

Dallas Ecological Foundation Inaugural Banquet and Fundraiser Hilton Dallas Park Cities (972) 392-3505 dallasecologicalfoundation.org

Kimble County Chamber Outdoor Women Gone Wild South Llano River State Park (325) 446-3190 junctiontexas.net

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation South Texas Banquet San Antonio Shrine Auditorium (830) 935-4754 rmef.org

Safari Club International – Houston Annual Casino Night (281) 353-2771 scihouston.org

APRIL 14

Houston Safari Club Crawfish Boil Noah’s of Katy (713) 623-8844 houstonsafariclub.org Coastal Conservation Association Fort Bend Banquet Fort Bend County Fairgrounds (281) 232-7707 ccatexas.org Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Brazos Valley Big Game Dinner The Brazos Center, Bryan rmef.org

National Wild Turkey Federation East Texas Banquet Maude Cobb Convention Center, Longview (903) 736-3683 nwtf.org

APRIL 19

Ducks Unlimited Fort Worth Gun/Cooler Raffle Night Esperanza’s Mexican Café (817) 291-6696 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 21

Ducks Unlimited Galveston Dinner Lone Star Flight Museum (409) 789-5034 ducks.org/Texas Coastal Conservation Association Dallas Banquet Frontiers of Flight Museum (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org Dallas Safari Club Annual Trophy and Photo Competition Omni Hotel Park West (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

APRIL 22

Ducks Unlimited Dayton Dinner Dayton Community Center (936) 776-1859 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 22-23

Big Game Trophy Mount & Western Auction Will Rogers Memorial Center, Fort Worth (512) 451-7633 taxidermyking.com

APRIL 23

Texas Dove Hunters Association 3rd Annual Pullin’ for Kids American Shooting Center, Houston (210) 764-1189 texasdovehunters.com Dallas Safari Club Conservation Society Crawfish Boil Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 25

CLASSIFIEDS HUNTING ANTLERS WANTED Buying all species, all conditions.

Looking for large quantities. Call Del: (830) 997-2263

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

POETRY SHOOTING CLUB

Quail Hunting Preserve Bird Dog Training Range 3ft to 700 yds Range Target Camera Duck – Dove – Deer Close to Dallas poetryshootingclub.com (214) 728-2755

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Full and half day hunts. Great restaurant!

Near Paris (903) 674-2000

SEEKING HUNTING PROPERTY Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation is looking for hunting property to continue its mission of creating hunters for a lifetime by providing hunting experiences for those that have the passion but lack the opportunity. All hunting rights sought, house/camp needed. Call Craig at (214) 361-2276

FISHING SABINE LAKE FISHING Trout, flounder, reds.

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Multiple trip discounts. Call Capt.

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(210) 557-9478

MAP MY RANCH Get the highest quality customizable maps of your ranch! www.MapMyRanch.com (713) 302-2028

JOBS NEWS REPORTER WANTED Lone Star Outdoor News is seeking a reporter for a full-time position at its Dallas office. Journalism degree required. Candidates must have a passion for hunting and fishing and experience with both. Experience with social media, web, Adobe and InDesign a plus. Join our team and write about the Texas outdoors. Send resumes to EDITOR@LONESTAROUTDOORNEWS.COM

DEFENSIVE DRIVING Lubbockclass.com

GUNS, GUNS, GUNS New and used Mumme’s, Hondo location (830) 426-3313 NEED AMMO? Largest selection in Central Texas Lampassas (512) 556-5444

AD SALES POSITION Lone Star Outdoor News is looking for an entry-level sales person for its growing advertising business. Position will be based in its Dallas office. Must have hunting and fishing experience.

Send resumes to EDITOR@LONESTAROUTDOORNEWS.COM

TURKEY HUNTING WEST OF DFW 3 day 2 nights Lodge, meals and guide included (800) 399-3006

EASTERN TURKEY HUNT Near the Red River Call Mike (214) 802-4184

SPANISH IBEX CAPE Full body Southeastern Spanish ibex cape for sale.

Replace your old mount with a rare, hard to find, perfect condition cape.

Call Gary at Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy (830) 896-6996

Guided Fishing Trips captaincarl.com Corpus Christi (361) 500-3559

PORT MANSFIELD Get away from the crowds Trout and red fishing at its finest.

Great lodge, Great food, Great guides.

Dove hunts during fall, book now for best dates.

(956) 944-4000

KINGFISHER FIBERGLASS BOAT Looking for a 15ft stick steering old East Texas style boat in good condition with outboard and trolling motor. Please call Ron at (214) 912-5805

DOS GRINGOS FISHING CHARTERS TROPHY WHITETAIL BUCK HUNTS Intensive Management Program.

Lodging included.

(940) 362-4219

FEEDERS Looking for a protein feeder for your deer lease?

Free choice and timed units available now.

(210) 648-0979

South Texas - Rio Grande Valley Bay fishing for trout, redfish, and flounder.

Call Captain Grady Deaton, PhD at captaingrady@dosgringosfishing.com.

See our website at www.dosgringosfishing.com (956) 455-2503

HUNTING FOR TRUCKS? New Ford and used trucks below.

2014 Ford F-150 XL - Power Windows - Power Locks - Cruise - Sync SuperCrew Cab V-8. Mileage : 12,355 Miles Stock # : Eke92739 2015 Ford F-250 XL - Power Equipment Group - FX4 4X4 6.2L V8 - Super Duty Truck Crew Cab V-8. Mileage : 4,161 Miles Stock # : Fec96300 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor - 6.2L V8 - Leather - Navigation Moon Roof SuperCrew Cab V-8. Mileage : 41,689 Stock # : Cfa36976 2011 Ram 1500 Laramie - 5.7L V8 Hemi - 4X4 - Laramie - Leather - Truck Crew Cab V-8 Mileage : 58,870 Miles Stock # : Bs540544 2015 Toyota Tacoma Tacoma - 4.0L V6 - 4X4 - Automatic Back-Up Camera, Double Cab V-6 Exterior Color : Black Interior Color : Graphite Mileage : 13,956 Miles Stock # : Fx132298

DECOYS WANTED WOODEN Duck and Goose. Top prices paid. Ask for David.

(214) 361-2276

Call Bobby I’m in the DFW area (214) 632-7963

CABIN RENTALS $100/ PERSON 4 PERSON MIN. HOG HUNTING Quality hunting in North Texas $250 per day Near Paris, ask for Nick (903) 674-2000

VEHICLES

2 issues minimum ADD A PHOTO $20 ALL BOLD LETTERS $10

Page 26

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Predators leave clues Continued from page 5

For example, the distance or spacing of the top canines of a coyote bite is generally about 1.8 inches apart, and they usually bite their prey behind the jaw and below the ear, with suffocation being the ultimate cause of death.

“It may take a coyote several bites to get a good grasp,” Tomacek said, “and the animal’s skull may be crushed.”

Dogs, whether feral or free-roaming domestic animals, often mutilate their prey and may not consume it at all, and are more likely to kill multiple animals.

“The feral dogs will usually consume the hindquarters,” Tomacek said.

Another canine, the red or gray fox, can be identified by bite marks, with the gray fox’s spacing on the upper canines being 1/2 to 1 inch, and the red fox being 11/16 to 1 inch.

“They prey on smaller animals, including fawns, and there will usually be a lot of bites on the neck and no bone damage,” Tomacek said. “But don’t confuse a fox on a carcass as the fox being the killer; they will scavenge on the larger animals.”

The fox prefers to feed on the viscera (intestines) of the animal, and where portions of the animal have been consumed is an important clue.

“They often feed on the ground side of the animal as opposed to from the top down,” Tomacek said.

When the predator is a feline (mountain lion or bobcat), an examination of the bite marks can be a key clue.

“There will be clean edges on the bites,” Tomacek said. “With mountain lions, they will drag the prey back to cover and will cover it.”

Mountain lions have distinctive tracks, and their large paws have three lobes on the bottom pad, unlike other felines.

Spacing is 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 inches, while

the bobcat’s is 3/4 to 1 inch between the upper canines.

Bobcats kill by strangulation, usually taking just one bite to get a lethal hold.

“They generally don’t prey on larger animals,” Tomacek said. “But if they do, you will see claw marks down the back of the prey.”

Both mountain lions and bobcats prefer to feed on the viscera first, and bobcats will attempt to cover their prey, but not to the extent of a mountain lion.

If a black bear was to blame, you’ll probably know it quickly.

“Their teeth are massive, 3 to 3 1/2 inches apart,” Tomacek said. “They knock down an animal with a powerful blow and break the neck, back or pelvis. No other animal we have is capable of doing that.”

Sometimes birds of prey are to blame, often owls.

“They are the tiger of the sky,” Tomacek said. “They don’t leave any evidence behind. They consume the animal whole, so you have to examine the pellets to see what they are eating.”

There isn’t much a landowner can do about birds of prey, since most are protected, but Tomacek said the rumor that crested caracaras predate on fawns and lambs is true.

“I witnessed one kill a lamb last spring,” he said. “They are very efficient predators.”

Tomacek said the first step in predator management should focus on animals that weren’t designed to be in the system.

“Feral hogs are opportunistic. They don’t often go for large animals but they will consume a fawn,” he said. “The hogs, dogs and feral cats aren’t supposed to be there. Manage those animals first.”

LSONews.com

College Park H.S. wins state championship The Woodlands College Park High School duo of Joe Beebee and Chad Mrazek brought a five-bass limit to the scale weighing 18 pounds, 5 ounces, to win the 2016 TBF/FLW High School Fishing Texas State Championship on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

For Beebee, it was his second High School Fishing state championship win. In 2014, he and partner Will Brady won the title on Lake LBJ. Saturday, Beebee and new partner Mrazek topped a field of 115 teams to earn the title.

The pair used a green-pumpkin and red-colored Xcite Baits jig to catch the majority of their fish.

“We caught all of our fish punching heavy mats of what we call hay grass,” said Beebee, a junior at College Park High School.

River Lee and Colby Vinyard of Leon High School finished second with 16 pounds, 3 ounces, followed by Blake Lilly and Calvin Todd of Marble Falls High School with 15 pounds, 14 ounces. Fourth place was claimed by Odessa Permian High School’s team of Andy Ortega and Blake Terry with 14 pounds, 10 ounces.

—Student Angler’s Federation

Puzzle solution from Page 22

Buying Club members receive 15% off all merchandise for rest of 2016 and includes a KJSOUTDOORS hat by GameGuard or Bushlan www.kjsoutdoors.com EXCLUDES Guns, ammo & optics which will be priced at percentage above dealer invoice.

We will match or beat Academy, Bass Pro or Cabela’s prices.

Texan owned business

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 25, 2016

Page 27

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Page 28

March 25, 2016

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

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