Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas
April 14, 2017
Big bass bags
Volume 13, Issue 16
SPRINGTIME STRUTTING
HUNGRY: Largemouth bass are biting all across Texas. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Lone Star Outdoor News Both recreational and tournament anglers are landing goodsized bass across the state, with tournament bags showing the results. At Falcon Lake, Eddie Kopplow and Jim Riley, both of Austin, said 150 bass were landed in three days while fishing with guide John Adami, despite strong winds. At Toledo Bend Reservoir, the Bassmaster Elite Series event held April 6-9 was won by Tennessean John Murray with a four-day total of 77 pounds, 10 ounces. He used large jerkbaits and crankbaits to land largemouth that were feeding on small white bass. The top Texas finishers were Alton Jones of Lorena, who finished seventh, and Todd Faircloth of Jasper, who
The turkey season is open in both the South and North zones, with many hunters reporting success while others are waiting for the hens to get on their nests. Once the toms get more active, there will be aggressive displays such as these 2-year-old toms are exhibiting toward a jake decoy. See a turkey hunting report from across the state on Page 4. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
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Taxing guides
CONTENTS Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 11
By Robert Sloan
Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 18 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 25 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 26
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210
REVENUE SOURCE: Guides are getting notices from county governments that equipment used for business is subject to taxation. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
If you are working as a fishing or duck hunting guide along the Texas coast, there is a good chance that if you aren’t currently taxed on the value of the gear you use to make that business run, you will be. This business tax has been implemented for years in Matagorda County. In Calhoun County it will be activated April 15. Galveston County guides also are hearing the tax Please turn to page 9
Bill would allow hot-air balloon hog hunting By Darlene McCormick Sanchez A house bill floating the idea of making it legal to hunt feral hogs and coyotes from a hot-air balloon in Texas is leaving hunters dubious. House bill 3535, sponsored by Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, is likened to
the law that allows people to hunt feral hogs from a helicopter. That law was championed by former Texas State Representative Sid Miller, who now serves as Texas Agriculture Commissioner. If passed, the hot-air balloon legislation would allow qualified landowners or their agents to hunt depredating feral hogs and coyotes using a hot-air balloon. The activity
By Darlene McCormick Sanchez Lone Star Outdoor News
The future of game bird surveys may count on drones. Currently humans do the work of going out and counting bird populations to determine their numbers. State game agencies also send out voluntary surveys to hunters to collect data as well. However, a new study found that using an audio recorder attached to an inex-
pensive drone could do the trick. Surveys are important because they help states such as Texas manage game through regulations. Andrew Wilson of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania and his colleagues tested the feasibility of this approach by using fishing line to suspend an audio recorder from a simple drone. The idea was first tested in trial runs on college athletic fields and then in real bird surveys on Pennsylvania state
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INSIDE
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
Lone Star Outdoor News
Drones may aid in game bird management
HUNTING
Pronghorn perish
MLD online
Animals trapped in Panhandle fires. Page 4
Popular program goes high-tech. Page 7
FISHING
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Lake Waco
Oso Pier
Anglers are reeling in plenty of bass. Page 8
Couple breathe new life into iconic pier. Page 8
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April 14, 2017
LoneOStar Outdoor News
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April 14, 2017
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April 14, 2017
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HUNTING
Hit the hot week
Toms on fire in some areas, less active in others
The Crystal Pistol Full-size replicas good for awards, gifts
By Craig Nyhus
By Craig Nyhus
By many accounts, the Texas turkey season is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. That doesn’t mean easy hunts for everyone, though. After the North Zone opener on April 2, Mark Rose took his friend’s 14-yearold grandson, Gray Dalton, on a hunt at his ranch in Jack County. Dalton bagged his first gobbler at 30 yards with his 12-gauge. The bird sported a 9-inch beard and 1 1/8-inch spurs. The toms weren’t very vocal and active for the opener, though. “Things are just starting up around here,” Rose said. “The birds around me always seem to get going later than the ones to the south. The next couple of weeks will be prime time.” In Henrietta, more than 6,000 turkey enthusiasts drove to Clay County for the annual Turkey Fest. “People told us the hunting was good,” said Bill Strickland, the executive director of the Henrietta/Clay County Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the event. “We sure had a bunch of turkeys come in.” The Battle of the Beards, held during the event, was won by Jim McMillen, while Presley Silvertooth won the youth division. In eastern Comanche County, Bill Hutchison said the gobblers are quieter than in past years. “We were seeing them, but almost no gobbling which is very rare in our neighborhood at this time of year,” he said. “Typically the strutting is very obvious all over the ranch from mid-March all through April.” In the South Zone, from Cotulla to Beeville, the first week was the hot week, according to Dave Richards of Boerne. “It was the best I’ve seen,” Richards said. “We called birds right in as soon as we got set up each day. The were gobbling and very active.” By the second week, the toms had quieted down. “It wasn’t bad,” Richards said. “But nothing like the first week.” In areas less than 100 miles away from him, the birds stayed quiet for the opener. Near Raymondville, the birds got hot after the season’s second week. The key, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s turkey leader Jason Hardin, is to hunt every chance you get. “In some areas, the gobblers got hot, but the hens weren’t ready, making for easier hunting,” Hardin said. “I hunted April 9 in Montague County and there were gobblers all around, but I was talk-
The second career of Ed Kohorst has been a worldwide adventure. The former editorial art director of the Dallas Morning News retired in 2000, but made some ART PIECE: Retired art director Ed trips to China, Kohorst found Chinese artisans to where he taught fashion crystal guns. Photo from Ed visual journal- Kohorst. ism. It was on one of the trips that opportunities caught his eye. “I found some Chinese artisans that were really good with crystal and other materials,” Kohorst said. “They could create a clay mold from a photo and produce a carved, marble statue.” When at a trade show in China while doing some custom marble décor work, Kohorst, an avid shooter, asked a crystal vendor to do a pistol. “It was from a photo I had of a Springfield 911,” he said. Satisfied with the result, he took some blue (training) guns and gave them to the artisans, who hand-crafted full-size replicas in pure Egyptian lead crystal. “They nailed it,” Kohorst said. “They poured the crystal instead of cutting it. Most U.S. artisans won’t do that because it’s too labor-intensive. They would make a mold from the model, and it goes into an oven at 1,800 degrees for 10 days. They would gradually pour the crystal into the mold, and then cool it down. It takes six to eight weeks for the total production.” The model is then placed onto a crystal base suitable for engraving. “The artisans are very good about quality control, as long as they know your standards,” Kohorst said. Through Crystal Pistols (crystalpistols.com), Kohorst has sold the pistols to police and governmental associations, the military and other groups, often for awards or retirement ceremonies; prizes for competitive shooting events; and companies that use them as gifts for top salespeople. “I get a lot of repeat business,” he said. The most popular models are the 1911, the Glock and the Beretta 92SS, Kohorst said, and other models include an 1861 Colt Civil War pistol, the Colt Peacemaker and a Smith & Wesson revolver. Kohorst also developed an AR-15. “We had some shipping issues with it,” he said. “Now, we make it in three pieces and assemble it after it gets here.” Kohorst said customer service has been the key to the growth of Crystal Pistols. “We make sure the customers are happy,” he said. The pistols cost $275, with discounts for volume purchases. The AR-15 runs $725.
Lone Star Outdoor News
Lone Star Outdoor News
A FINE TOM: Both the South and North zones are open for turkey hunting in Texas, and hens are expected to get on their nests soon in the North Zone, making calling a gobbler up close an easier task. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
ing to as many hens as I was gobblers.” Hardin said a lot of North Zone birds were henned up. “There are lots of hens out there,” he said. “The toms are gobbling on the roost, then they come down and shut up.” Hardin believes this season will be one of the best in years. “There are a lot of 2-year-old birds,” he said. “There aren’t many 1-year-old hens this year; they can be a pain to hunters and rarely get bred.” Hardin said North Zone hunters may benefit from the hens getting on the nest soon. “In the North Zone, most hens will
get on the nest around April 18,” he said. “The South Zone is around April 1. They’ll be on the nest three to four weeks.” It’s not always just finding the hot week, Hardin said. Sometimes it’s dayto-day. The post of Rack Ranch at Texasbowhunter.com proved him right. “Saturday morning, I had a blast working three different groups of gobblers. I had four different toms come in. Sunday morning, I never even heard a gobble in the distance. Guess I should have been in church.”
Fencing traps pronghorns in Panhandle wildfires Lone Star Outdoor News
UNFRIENDLY FENCE: Recent pronghorn deaths highlight the need for fencing adjustments where the animals live. Officials say the lowest wire should be 18 inches from the ground. Photo by TPWD.
Wildfires burned nearly 500,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle in March, and pronghorns trapped by fences were caught in the inferno. In Lipscomb, Ochiltree and Roberts counties, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Jeff Bonner toured some of the burned areas and counted 11 dead pronghorn in one fence corner and a total of 15 driving down a few county roads. “It’s hard to say to what extent they were affected,” Bonner said. “I didn’t do a grid search or anything. “I was a little surprised,
though — it was pretty gruesome.” The news wasn’t all bad, though, as Bonner also saw a group of 20-plus pronghorn feeding on the fresh green growth produced by the fires. Pronghorn rarely jump fences, but will go under them. The deaths highlight how restrictive fencing can impact pronghorn survival during a fire. TPWD and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have been encouraging landowners to install pronghorn-friendly fencing. “Through its EQIP program, the NRCS uses a cost-share program with landowners, where they can get funds to help im-
prove habitat and do other work that benefits wildlife,” said Shawn Gray, TPWD’s pronghorn leader. “There have been funds available in the Trans-Pecos, but after the fires, it will likely get expanded to the Panhandle. We’re trying to make landowners aware of making fences more passable for pronghorns.” Gray identified two characteristics in pronghorn-friendly fences. “The bottom wire needs to be at least 18-inches high, and higher is better,” he said. “And it’s better if it’s a smooth wire instead of barbed wire.”
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Hoffpauir Expo draws crowds in first year
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Pioneer of protein for deer dies By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Dr. Larry Varner, the wildlife nutrition biologist for Purina Mills, died on March 26 at the age of 72 after a brief bout with pancreatic cancer. Varner was instrumental in developing the pellet as a means of deer feed and credited with creating the deer business within PuTRAILBLAZER: Larry Varner rina. “He pretty much invented the deer pellet 30 years was credited with being ago and he proved that deer would eat a pellet,” said the first to develop the Scott Hohensee, wildlife sales manager with Purina Ani- use of pellet feed for deer. Photo from Purina. mal Nutrition. Ronnie Eckel of Lyssy & Eckel Feeds, one of Purina’s competitors, first met Varner in 1987 when Varner was working as a biologist. “Varner had the foresight and vision to see what nutrition means to deer,” Eckel said. “He spent thousands of nights in hotel rooms across the country sharing that vision and foresight. Everyone in Texas, everyone in the industry and every landowner in the state of Texas owes him a gratitude of thanks.” Varner was born in San Antonio and graduated from Abilene High in 1962 and Abilene Christian College in 1966 with a degree in Animal Science. He obtained his Ph.D. in animal nutrition from the University of Nebraska. His professional career began as a USDA scientist in Miles City, Montana. In 1974, he returned to Texas to serve as a research scientist in Range Animal Nutrition with the Texas A&M Agricultural Experiment Station in Uvalde, where he began to focus on white-tailed deer. In 1989, he began his career with Purina. Chris Traugott of All Seasons Feeders said Varner helped build the company’s first deer feeder. “I used an article by Larry to build it and he came out and looked at it,” Traugott said. “The rest is history.”
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Even though it was 10 miles outside of Lampasas, population 6,911, more than 3,000 people, with some estimating up to 5,000, made the drive to attend the inaugural Hoffpauir Expo. Lines were longest for the Can-Am and Polaris UTV test drives and for the crawfish provided by Toupsie’s restaurant. The crowd wandered through the expansive grounds, viewing boats, pontoons, trucks, tractors, mowers and more. Vendors offered everything from optics and feeders to hunting opportunities. Attendees gathered to take a few shots with new shotguns and bows, and watch bow-hunting trick shot artist Frank Addington shoot a baby aspirin from behind his back. At the end of the afternoon, the crowd remained for drawings for a large number of prizes, from coolers to feeders to guns. It was the big prize that kept them around, though, and Randy Thorp of Lampasas came away the winner of a 4-passenger Polaris UTV. “It will be bigger and better next year,” Lee Hoffpauir said. “We were real pleased with the numbers of people — they came from all over the state.”
Program to reduce deer in city renewed Lone Star Outdoor News SMALL TOWN FUN: People from the Lampasas area flocked to the country for the inaugural expo held at the Hoffpauir Ranch west of town. Below, Lee Hoffpauir draws a winner of one of many prizes, including a new Polaris UTV. Photos by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News.
A pilot program approved by the state that uses a small number of qualified bowhunters to kill whitetailed deer inside city limits in one Hill Country town has been renewed for a second year, according to news reports. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department helped create the pilot pro-
gram last year that was renewed at the Granite Shoals City Council March 28 meeting. During the initial program, which ran Oct. 4, 2016 - Jan. 12, 2017, the chosen hunters harvested 75 does. Venison processed from the does totaled 1,485 pounds, with it going to Abundant Heart Ministry, Joseph’s Food Pantry and other individuals, according to DailyTrib.com.
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No changes planned for spring snow goose season
SURVEY: Despite fewer snow geese migrating into Texas each year, hunters still favor the spring hunting season. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Jack Frisque of Justin was taken aback when he received his survey regarding light goose hunting from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The survey, entitled Light Goose Harvest During the 2017 Special Conservation Season, consisted of six questions, with the last question reading: It has been suggested that TPWD close the Special Light Goose Conservation Season due to low numbers of hunters and declining numbers of snow geese in Texas. Would you support the closure? Frisque said he was disheartened to read the survey. “It was surprising to me,” he said. “We need to figure out why the population has diminished, not just consider closing the season. Texas has a rich waterfowl history.” Kevin Kraii, the waterfowl leader with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said the Special Conservation Season, established to reduce the overall snow goose population that was damaging the Arctic tundra, is not in danger. “By regulation, we have to put out a survey and collect harvest estimates,” Kraii said. “It’s been going on since 1998. Each state has to do its own survey. A few years ago, we put in two extra questions to get the pulse of Texas goose hunters, regarding our high bag limits and attitudes toward the conservation season.” Kraii said, although the survey showed mixed results, most hunters felt like Fris-
que and wanted the Special Conservation Season to remain open. “Most were aware of decline of snow geese in Texas, and some people blame the liberalized regulations on the loss of snow geese,” he said. “Otherwise, there was strong support for continuing the season the last two years.” Kraii said the snow geese do return to the state when there is more food available. Rice acreage has declined substantially along the Texas coastal prairie, while rice production has increased in other states, especially Arkansas, where goose numbers are high. “Two years ago, there was a lot of corn in Kingsville area,” Kraii said. “Due to conditions, it was planted and harvested very late, well into October. The snow geese piled in. It dispelled the notion that they have forgotten about coming to Texas. If there is food, they will come.” Participation in the Special Conservation Season has waned over the years, likely a combination of fewer geese in the state and warmer springs causing the geese to begin their northern migration earlier. “The number of participants since the beginning has gone from 22,000 to about 1,000 the last few years,” Kraii said. Changes to regulations wouldn’t be likely to alter the number of birds around, or hunting pressure. “Regulations are a broad management tool and have little effect on pressure,” Kraii said. “We have no plans to make any changes.”
National quail group gains ground in Texas Lone Star Outdoor News The second annual state convention for Quail Forever held in Texas showed promise of growth. Laura McIver, regional field representative for Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever, said about 70 people from Texas and Oklahoma attended the fledgling event last month in Wichita Falls. That’s double the number that showed up last year. “I was really pleased with that,” McIver said, adding the group’s foothold in Texas is mainly centered on quail at the moment. McIver said when she first came on board Texas and Oklahoma had only one active chapter each. Now there are 23 chapters of Quail Forever in both states. As the event grows, the plan is for the states to host their own annual conventions. Quail Forever is an extension of the national Pheasants Forever conservation
group. This year’s state convention offered educational events such as a mock mentor hunt, seminars on habitat improvement and a fundraising banquet. McIver said she didn’t have a fundraising total yet, but that funds stay local. Money will be used to support Farm Bill biologists to help landowners with habitat, for example. Funds will potentially go toward improving public hunting for quail in Texas and Oklahoma. Whether that takes the form of purchasing land outright or partnering with another entity is yet to be seen, she said. “It’s a work in progress. A lot of this is going to unfold,” she said. Preservation of the sport is important for future generations and the driving force behind the group. The decrease in the number of hunters is challenging, she said. “This is a heritage that’s going away,” she said.
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MLDP goes online Lone Star Outdoor News Texas landowners participating in the Managed Lands Deer Program will be able to complete the enrollment process and print their tags online beginning this summer. The new automated system simplifies harvest recommendations and offers the ability to print tags at home. The MLDP, designed to support LESS PAPERWORK: Landowners on MLDP properties will be able to complete ensound management rollment and print their own tags before the 2017-2018 hunting season. Photo and stewardship of by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News. native wildlife and wildlife habitats on private lands in Texas, began in 1996, must use the new Land Management Assisand quickly became successful. Currently, tance online system when it becomes availmore than 10,000 farms and ranches cov- able to submit an application for participaering about 26 million acres are enrolled tion. The application process will require in the program. Participation is recognized the landowner to create an account and through incentive-based deer tag issuance to draw a property boundary in the online that provides extended hunting season system. An email address is required for lengths and liberalized harvest opportu- the landowner and any designated agents nities beyond what is allowed under the the landowner may assign to the account. Participants selecting the Harvest Opcounty regulations. tion will receive automated harvest recTPWD has simplified the program down ommendations, tag issuance and general to two options: Harvest or Conservation. Both options retain issuance of deer tags correspondence about wildlife and habitat that can be used during an extended hunt- management. The Conservation Option ing season from about Oct. 1 through the comes with customized technical guidend of February, but the Harvest Option ance and harvest recommendations from does come with early season buck har- a TPWD biologist, requiring at least three vest restrictions (archery equipment only approved habitat management practices in October for branched-antlered bucks). be implemented each year. The changes come while the Texas LegisAntlerless and unbranched antler bucks may still be harvested by any legal means lature considers allowing fees for participation in the MLD program for the first time, during the entire MLDP season. Landowners seeking to enroll in either a move supported by many Texas wildlife the MLDP Harvest or Conservation Option groups.
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FISHING
Pitch, flip, swim and crank for Lake Waco bass By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star Outdoor News
PLENTIFUL BASS: Lake Waco isn’t known for large bass, but it consistently offers plenty of fish. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Lake Waco may not be on every anglers go-to list, but you might want to check it out if you’re into catching numbers of solid bass in flooded timber. The reservoir is located on the Bosque River off Highway 6 within the Waco city limits. It covers 8,465 acres and was opened to fishing in 1965. “I’ve been fishing here since I came up from Houston to go to Baylor back in the early ’70s,”
said Denny Copeland. “That’s when it was fairly new. It was good then and it’s still a very good bass fishing option right now. We fish a lot of local tournaments here. Most of what we do is flipping jigs and fishing swim baits in flooded timber off the river channel. Right now we’ve been targeting spawning bass on the lower end of the lake. It’s been pretty good.” David Underwood also has been fishing the lake since the early ’70s and says the fishing is consistently good for chunky
largemouth bass. “Since the last flood on the lake the fishing has been very good, thanks to all the laydowns and brush washed to the bank and shallow flats,” Underwood said. “We had about a 16-foot rise in the lake level with the flood about 2 years ago.” One of Underwood’s go-to baits is a 4-inch Big Bite Craw Tube in a tilapia color. “It’s a pitch bait that’s easy to fish,” he said. “We’re rigging them on 4/0 straight shank flipping hooks with 1/4- or Please turn to page 14
Pier a throwback to yesteryear By Darlene McCormick Sanchez Lone Star Outdoor News
Resurrecting the Oso Fishing Pier has taken a little luck and a lot of money and sweat equity. But for owners Mario and Yuliya Martinez it has been a dream come true. “I’ve put blood, sweat and tears into it. It’s worth it,” Mario said. “I did it for my wife. She loves fishing, and I love my wife.” The Oso is Corpus Christi’s oldest existing pier. Built in 1948 by Jack Maddux, it survived hurricanes and makeovers. But it went dark about a decade ago, not long after Jack’s death in 1999. It took a college grad and a mechanically inclined local resident to breathing new life into the pier in 2014. Shireen Omar bought the pier after graduating from college. She opened it part time as she continued repairs. Mario, a longtime local angler, knew someone had bought the pier, but noticed the lights didn’t work. He approached Omar and offered to fix the lighting for free if she bought the materials. That serendipitous meeting led to a business partnership between Omar and Mario. By 2015, the pier’s restaurant was open, complete with a grill, beer license and bait shop.
Mario and Yuliya bought out Omar in January 2017 and have been focusing on improvements. They have built a covered patio and have expanded the restaurant menu to include crawfish, shrimp, fish and homemade Russian deserts — a nod to Yuliya’s Russian homeland. Live acoustic music drifts on the breeze during the weekends. But, of course, the main event is fishing from the pier. Black drum, sea trout and sheepshead are the star attractions. “The biggest sheepshead I’ve ever seen came out of here,” Mario said, adding it was upwards of 24 inches. Entire families come out to enjoy the fishing — which is exactly how Mario remembers the iconic pier when he was a kid. “The first time I ever fished in my life, I was 5 years old. It was on this pier,” Mario said. Of course, he hears lots of those stories from locals who frequent the place on a regular basis. “They grew up on this pier. They thank me for opening up again.
Nothing but good memories,” he said. Yuliya or Mario never imagined they’d be running a fishing pier. It hasn’t been easy. Mario is constantly repairing boards and lights and making sure the pier is safe. Yuliya works nonstop in the restaurant, which is the most expensive part of the operation. So far the Martinezes have put about $100,000 into the place. But they wouldn’t have it any other way and their labor of love is finally turning a profit. “I love to fish. I love to cook,” Yuliya said. “We have a lot of regular people. It seems everybody loves it and enjoys it.”
PIER REWIND: The Oso Pier was reopened by Mario and Yuliya Martinez after remaining shuttered for more than a decade. Photos by Erich Schlegel, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Flounder on the run in bays, bayous and passes By Robert Sloan
For Lone Star Outdoor News Thanks to a mild winter along the Texas Gulf Coast, catches of flounder have been better than expected, and catches should only get better. One of the best places to find numbers of flounder is on Sabine Lake and in Sabine Pass located on the Texas/Louisiana border. Guide Bill Watkins said that fishing the mouths of bayous is one of the most obvious places to find flounder, and he’ll also be fishing the bank with jigs tipped with some sort of scented bait. “I’ve got some areas along the Louisiana shoreline that have scattered pods of clam and oyster shell over mud,” Watkins said. “Flounder like that type of structure. If you catch SPRING FLATTIES: one in a spot like that, Flounder fishing is good and improving at you’ll more than likely Sabine Pass and East catch several. I’ll also be Galveston Bay. Photo fishing the steeper banks by Robert Sloan, for that have some sort of Lone Star Outdoor drop. Flounder will hold News.
on the break to ambush baitfish and shrimp.” Watkins prefers a 1/4-ounce jig head and a 4-inch curl tail scented plastic, with an added touch. “Just to perk it up a little, I’ll tip it with a piece of mullet, shrimp or croaker,” he said. “That extra scent attracts a lot of flounder.” Austin Dishman has been fishing Sabine Pass for more than 30 years. “I prefer to fish the pass, but the Louisiana shoreline on the lake will often hold plenty of flounder,” Dishman said. “On most days it’s easier to fish the pass. It’s protected water with plenty of structure that will hold flounder. One of my favorite ways to catch them is on flats just off the deep drop into the ship channel. Flounder will hold in the shallower water and can easily be caught on jigs bumped along bottom.” On East Galveston Bay, Ray Simmons specializes in fishing live finger mullet at the mouths of bayous. “This is easy fishing,” he said, while cleaning three big flounder in the 3- to 4-pound class. “The big ones are easy to locate. On a falling tide I’ll set up at the mouth of one of
the bayous feeding into the bay. Sometimes I’ll fish out of my boat, but most of the time I’ll wade the edge of the drop off while fishing live finger mullet on bottom. I’ll hook the mullet through the lips and fish them on a Carolina rig. The bigger flounder love mullet. And when they hit, you’ll feel a solid thump. It’s fun fishing.” On the middle Texas coast, catches of flounder are best along the shoreline with scattered shell and mud in East Matagorda Bay. That’s where Dianne Klam has been doing best. “Lately I’ve been catching them while wading and drifting,” Klam said. “There’s really not a pattern to key on, but there are definitely more here than in past years at this time.” Flounder love to hit soft plastic jigs in a variety of colors. Klam said her go-to jig is a Hot Chicken Assassin that’s rigged on a 1/4-ounce jig head. “I’ve been catching them on a fairly fast retrieve in 3- to 4-feet of water,” she said. “With the water temperature being well above normal, flounder have a more aggressive bite.”
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Taxes sink in for guides Continued from page 1
is on its way. The Calhoun County Appraisal District (it includes Port O’Connor and Seadrift) sent out rendition forms within the past couple of months that “requires owners of business personal property to render for taxation all such assets used for the production of income. All business personal prop- COUNTY TAX: Calhoun County officials are charging guides 2 percent tax erty owned or managed on boats, motors, trailers and other equipment. Photo by David J. Sams, on Jan. 1, 2017 must be Lone Star Outdoor News. rendered by April 15 each year.” According to Paul Spaeth, deputy chief sonnel use, the owner can file for an exempof appraisal operations in Calhoun County, tion with the appraisal district.” Does it matter if the guide lives in that they are tracking down all guides that buy a license each year with the Texas Parks and county? No. If you operate your guide business out of Port O’Connor or Seadrift you Wildlife Department. “It’s going to be about $20 on every $1,000 will be taxed. Does it only apply to full-time of equipment used to run a guide business,” guides? No. Part-time guides are included. “Taxing guides is not a new business,” SpaSpaeth said. “That’s about a 2 percent tax. It includes the fair market value of the boat, eth said. “Until the Texas Legislature makes motor and trailer. It’s up to the guide to a change it’s going to be a tax. In the past, determine what it is worth and provide us some guides were taxed, others were not. with the value. If it’s a lot lower than market That’s because we didn’t have a good way to value, we’ll send them a notice of appraised find them. All guides should be taxed.” Long-time Galveston guide Mike Williams value per linear foot.” said the tax is akin to being robbed. This is a county-by-county tax. “We have to live with whatever tax laws “If one county is not taxing the guides, are passed,” he says. “The only way to fight they should be,” Spaeth said. The county sees the guide businesses as a it is to group together. But 99 percent of the “never-ending source of revenue,” according time we’ll lose anyway.” Tommy Countz, who has worked as a to Spaeth. Anything used to run that business is guide for decades in Matagorda, says it’s subject to being taxed. For fishing guides, it nothing new there. “We’ve been paying that tax for several includes the boat, motor, trailer, rods, reels, coolers, tackle and life jackets. For waterfowl years,” he said. “It’s just like having a car guides, their equipment will be taxed as well. repair shop. You have to pay taxes on your equipment. I pay a few hundred dollars each Tow vehicles may be included. “That can be taxed, too,” said Jesse Hub- year. It’s not a big burden. I think a big reabell, chief appraiser for Calhoun County. “If son behind the tax is that a lot of counties it’s used full-time as a tow vehicle it will be don’t get nearly as much tax money from taxed. But if it’s for both business and per- the oil companies as they used to.”
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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT ALAN HENRY: Water clear on the main lake, stained up the river; 61–65 degrees; 1.88’ low. Black bass are good on 7-inch worms, swim jigs and mediumdiving crankbaits. Crappie and bass are fair on minnows in the back of creeks. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait on baited holes. AMISTAD: Water murky; 68–72 degrees; 22.01’ low. Black bass are good on crankbaits, soft plastics, spinner baits and swimbaits. Striped and white bass are fair on slabs, jigging spoons, and live minnows. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on cheese bait, shrimp and liver over baited holes. ARROWHEAD: Water fairly clear; 55–61 degrees; 0.37’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, stick baits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows in the shallows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. ATHENS: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.51’ high. Black bass are fair on Texasrigged creature baits, buzzbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. BASTROP: Water stained; 66–70 degrees. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are very good on live bait, frozen shrimp, liver and blood bait. BELTON: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.96’ high. Black bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and spinner baits. Hybrid striper are good on live shad in coves. White bass are good on spinner baits and watermelon jigs. Crappie are very good on minnows early and under lights at night. Channel and blue catfish are good on stink bait and hot dogs. BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.16’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, weightless stick baits and hollow-body frogs. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines. BONHAM: Water stained; 65–70 degrees; 3.05’ low. Black bass are good on lipless crankbaits, spinner baits and bladed jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good drifting cut bait. BRAUNIG: Water murky. Black bass are good on watermelon soft plastics along shorelines and structure. Striped bass are good on chicken livers and spoons. Redfish are good on live perch and tilapia. Channel catfish are very good on shrimp, liver and stinkbait. Blue catfish are fair. BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained, 66–69 degrees: 0.42’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged worms and squarebilled crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfish are slow. BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.86’ high. Black bass are fair on crawcolored crankbaits, chartreuse/ blue spinner baits and jigs and watermelon soft plastics. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are
slow. Crappie are good on white tube jigs and minnows over brush piles. Catfish are slow. BUCHANAN: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 1.97’ low. Black bass are fair on green pumpkin jigs, top-waters and wacky-rigged watermelon red stick baits in creeks. Striped bass are fair on live bait and white bucktail jigs around Shaw Island. White bass are good near Paradise Point. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines and trotlines near Paradise Point. CADDO: Water stained; 67–72 degrees; 1.30’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws, black buzzbaits and hollow-body frogs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad. CALAVERAS: Water murky. Black bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastic worms and grubs around reed beds along shorelines. Striped bass are good on chicken livers, shad and spoons. Redfish are good on perch and shrimp on the bottom. Channel and blue catfish are very good on nightcrawlers, shad and liver. CANYON LAKE: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.21’ high. Black bass are good on green pumpkin stick baits and grape worms along break lines. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair trolling Shad Raps in 10–20 feet. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on live bait. CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 65–70 degrees; 0.23’ high. Black bass are good on spinner baits, Texas-rigged creature baits and top-water poppers. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines. CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 20.09’ low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse spinner baits, crankbaits and Carolina-rigged worms. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnow-tipped jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and stink bait. COLEMAN: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.18’ low. Black bass are good on spinner baits and dark soft plastic worms or lizards. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are slow. COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 80 degrees at the hot water discharge, 68 degrees in main lake; 0.21’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon lipless crankbaits, soft plastics and spinner baits. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows in 10–20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch and liver. CONROE: Water stained; 65– 69 degrees; 0.10’ high. Black bass are fair on green pumpkin spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics in 10–20 feet. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and watermelon tube jigs. Catfish are fair on stink bait and shrimp. FALCON: Water murky; 67–71
degrees; 31.27’ low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on minnows, frozen shrimp, shad and cut bait. FAYETTE: Water murky. Black bass are good on watermelon stick baits, white and white/ chartreuse spinner baits and pumpkinseed worms along the outside edges of breaks. Channel and blue catfish are good on cut shad and shrimp over baited holes. FORK: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 1.92’ low. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, white buzzbaits and weightless flukes. White and yellow bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait. FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water murky; 57–62 degrees; 0.03’ high. Black bass are fair on jigs, Texas rigs and buzzbaits. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass are good on watermelon spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait and frozen shrimp. GRANBURY: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.16’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms with white tails. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and pet spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfish are fair on shrimp and stink bait. GRANGER: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.60’ high. Black bass are good on chartreuse lipless crankbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on chartreuse jigs over brush piles. Blue catfish are fair on stink bait and Zote soap. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch in the river. GRAPEVINE: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 1.15’ high. Black bass are good on square-billed crankbaits and Texas-rigged craws. White bass and hybrid bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and punch bait. GREENBELT: 30.82’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs and 5-inch worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 68–72 degrees; 0.39’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows at night. Bream are fair on live worms off piers and over grass beds. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines. HUBBARD CREEK: Water offcolor; 56–62 degrees; 0.32’ low. Black bass are fair on split-shot rigged flukes, Texas rigs and finesse jigs. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows around shallow cover. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. JOE POOL: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.93’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, shaky-head worms and buzzbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines. LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 67–71 degrees:
0.67’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws, spinner baits and buzzfrogs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad. LAVON: Water stained; 66–70 degrees: 1.48’ low. Black bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits, buzzbaits and bladed jigs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and rod and reel. LBJ: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 0.87’ low. Black bass are good on lipless crankbaits, chartreuse creature baits and pumpkin top-waters on flats. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good vertically jigging under birds. Crappie are fair on live minnows and white jigs in 6–10 feet. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on live bait. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.42’ high. Black bass are good on Texasrigged craws, flipping jigs and shallow crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait. LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.38’ high. Black bass are good on chartreuse lipless crankbaits, spinner baits and crankbaits. White bass are good on minnows, soft plastics and spec rigs in the upper creeks. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on perch and shad. MACKENZIE: 74.11’ low. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 72–77 degrees; 0.37’ low. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse jigs. White bass are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines. MONTICELLO: Water stained; 72–76 degrees; 0.54’ high. Black bass are good on spinner baits, buzzbaits and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines. NASWORTHY: 57–63 degrees; 1.46’ low. Black bass are fair to good on chatterbaits, jigs and Texas-rigged lizards. No reports on crappie. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 0.43’ high. Black bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and spinner baits along banks and near the dam. White bass are fair on slabs and spoons. Crappie are good on chartreuse tube jigs and minnows. Channel catfish are fair on shrimp and stink bait. Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with minnows and shrimp. O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 59–65 degrees; 33.18’ low. Black bass are good on jigs and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs in the shallows. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers. OAK CREEK: Water stained; 56–62 degrees; 7.89’ low. Black
bass are good on Texas rigs, stick baits and jigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on chartreuse nightcrawlers. PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.21’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits, finesse jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water offcolor; 63–68 degrees; 0.1’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, jigs, shaky heads and chatterbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers. PROCTOR: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.18’ high. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms and lizards. Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on live shad. RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.36’ low. Black bass are fair on spinner baits, Texas-rigged craws and swim jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines. RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 64–68 degrees; 0.32’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines. RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.16’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits, swim jigs and square-billed crankbaits. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines. SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 1.52’ low. Black bass are good on green pumpkin crankbaits, soft plastics and flukes over grass in 3–10 feet. Crappie are good on live shiners and on pink and black tube jigs around willows. Catfish are good on juglines baited with prepared bait. SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 65–69 degrees; 0.41’ high. Black bass are fair on green pumpkin spinner baits and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and chicken livers. STAMFORD: 0.76’ low. Black bass are fair on spinner baits, stick baits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows in the shallows. White bass are fair to good on Rooster Tails. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut and live bait. STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 66–70 degrees; 0.28’ high.
n Saltwater reports: Please turn to
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Black bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastics and watermelon flukes. White bass are fair on minnows in 10–20 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows in 10–22 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp. TAWAKONI: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 2.84’ low. Black bass are fair on buzzbaits, hollow-body frogs and Texasrigged creature baits. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad. TEXOMA: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 1.32’ low. Black bass are good on shallow crankbaits, top-waters and shaky head worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are slow. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 2.47’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon spinner baits and shallow-running crankbaits around hydrilla beds in 6-12 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on black/chartreuse jigs over hydrilla beds. Bream are fair on worms. Catfish are slow. TRAVIS: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 0.23’ high. Black bass are very good on white grubs and watermelon stick baits in 10–20 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows, pumpkin crankbaits and white grubs. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink tube jigs in 10-20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and fresh cut bait in 20-40 feet. WALTER E. LONG: Water murky. Black bass are fair on watermelon lipless crankbaits, crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are good on slabs and chartreuse soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on stink bait and hot dogs. WHITE RIVER: Water stained; 55–62 degrees; 19.6’ low. Black bass are very slow. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. WHITNEY: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 2.90’ low. Black bass are good on pumpkinseed spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on chartreuse striper jigs. White bass are fair on silver spoons and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink tube jigs. Catfish are good on live bait and frozen shrimp. —TPWD
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April 14, 2017
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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, speckled trout, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Trout are fair to good on the reefs on live shrimp and Down South Lures. 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: Trout are fair for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on scented plastics and live shrimp under popping corks. Trout are fair for waders on the east shoreline on top-waters in the afternoon. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on top-waters and scented plastics. 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. Trout, sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Redfish are good in the back lakes on shrimp and scented plastics. TEXAS CITY: Redfish are fair to good in Moses Lake on shrimp. Trout are fair on shrimp and croakers on the reefs. Black drum are good in the channel on cracked crabs. FREEPORT: Trout are fair at San Luis Pass on live bait. Sand trout, trout, redfish and sheepshead are
good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay and at the jetties. EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good on the reefs on live shrimp and scented plastics. Trout are fair for drifters in the back lakes on live shrimp. Redfish are good while drifting around the tripod and along the ICW. WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good in Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on crabs. Redfish and black drum are good while wading with live shrimp on the south shoreline. Trout are
fair to good in the afternoon while wading with top-waters. PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the reefs in San Antonio Bay on live shrimp. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp and scented plastics. Trout and redfish are good at the jetty on croakers and mullet. 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 fair to good on the Estes Flats on mullet and crabs. Trout are good for waders on the St. Joe shoreline on top-waters.
PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good at East Flats on gold spoons and small top-waters. Black drum are good in the Shrimpboat Channel on crabs and finger mullet. Redfish, trout 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 fair to good while wading grass and rocks on top-waters, Bass Assassins, Gamblers and Down South Lures. Black drum are good in the Land Cut on crabs. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on topwaters around sand and grass on She Pups and Super Spook Jrs. Redfish are fair to good while drifting potholes on scented plastics under popping corks. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands and channel drops on DOA Shrimp, scented plastics and live shrimp. Black drum, redfish and jack crevalle are good at the jetty on mullet and shrimp. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp and scented plastics under a popping cork. Redfish are fair in South Bay on DOA Shrimp, scented plastics and live shrimp. —TPWD
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April 14, 2017
LoneOStar Outdoor News
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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER NET LOSER A game warden received a complaint of individuals cast-netting game fish and trespassing on the Leon River. The warden responded to the area, made contact with the suspects, and identified the people involved. He issued citations to the suspects for no fishing license and confirmed one had a felony warrant out of Bell County. The warden placed that suspect under arrest and contacted the sheriff’s office to transport him to the Bell County jail. INTERNATIONAL FISHING VIOLATION The United States Coast Guard recently requested game warden assistance with Mexican fishing vessels caught in Texas waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard had pursued five boats operating in both U.S. federal and Texas waters. They caught one vessel in federal waters and one in Texas waters. The first boat, which was caught in federal waters, contained one large cobia, numerous sharks, and a large amount of red snapper weighing more than 900 pounds combined. The second boat, which was caught in state waters, contained over 300 pounds of shark and 1,100 pounds of red snapper. The Coast Guard took custody of the first boat with the three undocumented aliens. Wardens took custody of the second boat, arrested the four undocumented aliens onboard and filed state charges. Unfortunately, over 2,300 pounds of fish were not able to be salvaged due to an increased health risk from the vessel. Wardens took the four subjects before a magistrate and received a guilty plea on all charges. The
CLUELESS QUAIL HUNTERS Game wardens responded to a landowner call regarding hunters trespassing on his property in Hockley County. The two men had made an agreement with a hunting guide at a nearby town to take them on a quail hunt that day. Unfortunately, neither the guide nor the men knew who the
same four subjects admitted that the Coast Guard had caught and arrested them for the same charges just three months prior. STOLEN BOAT LOCATED Denton County game wardens responded to a call of an abandoned vessel on Lake Lewisville. The wardens were able to locate the vessel and determine that it had been stolen the previous summer. The vessel was towed to shore and turned over to the reporting agency. FISHY BEHAVIOR A Tarrant County game warden was patrolling the banks of Lake Worth and Silver Creek when he spotted three suspects trespassing on city property. When he approached the subjects to check fishing licenses and advise them that they weren’t allowed on the property, the three subjects acted extremely nervous. This prompted the warden to investigate further and after receiving consent to search the suspects’ vehicles, he subsequently found narcotics and drug paraphernalia. One subject was arrested for pos-
landowner was and one man admitted to not even knowing the name of the guide. All three subjects were charged with hunting quail without landowner consent and placed into the Hockley County Jail. Cases and civil restitution are pending.
session of a controlled substance. Citations were filed on the other two subjects. Cases are pending. OH CRAPPIE! A Williamson County game warden received a call regarding two fishermen allegedly in possession of undersized fish. Upon locating the two subjects matching the description, the warden made contact and checked for state compliance. Although both had valid fishing licenses, 13 of the crappie on their stringers didn’t measure up to the 10-inch minimum length limit. Several citations and civil restitution cases were filed. CAMERA FOOTAGE LEADS TO ARREST Victoria County game wardens responded to a call regarding trespassers on private property near the Guadalupe River. The wardens located and identified two armed subjects. The pair were released after the wardens informed them of the landowner’s intent to file trespassing with a deadly weapon charges. The following day the complainant contacted the warden
about a Go Pro-type camera he found on the property. After examination of the videos on the camera, both individuals were subsequently charged for hunting without consent and trespassing with a deadly weapon. Cases are pending. EAGLE DEATH PROMPTS INVESTIGATION A Victoria County game warden responded to a call about an injured bald eagle in the Bloomington area and took custody of the bird. Indications suggest the eagle may have been shot and was subsequently struck by a train. The eagle did not survive and an investigation is ongoing. READING BETWEEN THE LINES A Cochran County game warden responded to a trespassing complaint on opening weekend of mule deer season and discovered three New Mexico hunters who reportedly believed as long as the property didn’t have a “No Trespassing” sign it was legal to hunt there. They were also hunting deer with the five-day special non-resident license, valid only
for small game, and none of them had completed a hunter education course. All three were charged with hunting without landowner’s consent. Cases pending. NET VIOLATIONS EQUAL NET LOSS Game wardens have been actively pursuing cast-net violations at the Lake Somerville spillway. An OGT (Operation Game Thief) hotline tip led local wardens to catch several groups of violators over the first few days of March. The violators were intentionally cast-netting and possessing game fish. Numerous cases have been filed. HUNTING LICENSE CHEAPER THAN CHEATING Game wardens routinely check tags and other documentation at local deer processors and taxidermists in their district. Toward the end of the deer season, Willacy County wardens discovered nine white-tailed bucks and one white-tailed doe harvested by two different hunters who failed to purchase Texas hunting licenses. Contact was made with the local landowners and the two hunters. Several white-tailed deer were seized and multiple citations issued. Cases and restitution totaling over $10,000 are pending.
REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000. CALL (800) 792-4263
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Page 14
April 14, 2017
LoneOStar Outdoor News
Medina Lake bass thriving
Texas biologist wins Ken Cook award
By Carlos Medrano
For Lone Star Outdoor News Medina Lake in Bandera and Medina counties is experiencing a new lake phenomenon. Now the 5,426-acre lake is at 92-percent capacity, quite a difference from early 2015. At its lowest point after years of drought, the lake was 3 percent full. Medina Lake had been known for largemouth bass, catfish and hybrids. However, the fish changed as the water level dropped. “Rough species of fish, such as gar, carp and shad inhabited the lake,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist Randy Myers. Not only were the fish negatively affected, but setbacks also occurred for those who chased these fish. “It was bank and kayak fishing for the longest time,” said local guide Debra Hengst. “The lake was in trouble.” It seemed a miracle would be required to salvage a once-prominent South Texas lake. Then it rained, and the rains kept coming. By May 31, 2016, the lake reached full capacity for the first time in years, and Myers and other biologists began working on restoring the fish population. In June of 2015, 200,000 Florida-strain largemouths were stocked, followed by 84,000 blue catfish in the fall. In 2016, hybrid striped bass were stocked. The fingerlings thrived. “Medina Lake is experiencing a new reservoir phenomenon,” Myers said. During a fish capture in 2016 done by Myers and his crew, they were capturing 400 bass per hour. “Medina Lake currently has the densest population of bass in South Texas,” Myers said.
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BASS BONANZA: Medina Lake is experiencing a fishing resurgence after nearly running dry during the last drought. Photo from Medina Lake Bassmasters.
Both Myers and Hengst said it was not uncommon for anglers to land 50-100 bass in a day last fall. Most of the fish were small, in the 1-pound range, representing fingerlings stocked in 2015. The new year has not produced the same amount of fish, but there are still fish to be had at Medina. “Currently the bite has backed off a bit due to the variation of weather the area has had as of late,” Hengst said. For those who do want to chase fish at Medina, there are a some spots and tactics that are yielding results. “Fishing for bass using a square-billed crankbait in the river shallows, and using creature-like baits on the brush lines close to deep waters has been good for largemouth,” Hengst said. Hengst feels that as the weather stabilizes, that fishing will pick up again.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries biologist and avid bass angler Todd Driscoll of Jasper received the Ken Cook Friend of B.A.S.S Fisheries Award March 24 at the Bassmaster Classic in Houston. Driscoll is known among his peers and constituents for his work studying bass tournament fish care and mortality, improving fish habitat in some of the state’s top fisheries, dedicating much of his personal time to bass fishing, and working with anglers to make fishing better in Texas. B.A.S.S created the Ken Cook Friend of B.A.S.S. Fisheries Award to honor the memory and legacy of fisheries biologist and professional angler Ken Cook, who died in 2016. The award recognizes a state agency biologist who exemplifies the qualities of a scientist, communicator and avid angler each year at the Bassmaster Classic. Photo from TPWD Driscoll said he knew he wanted to be a fisheries biologist when he was 16 years old, and after high school he passionately pursued it, graduating with a B.S. from Kansas State University in 1994 and an M.S. from Mississippi State University in 1996. Driscoll has now served as a fisheries management biologist with TPWD for more than 18 years, and currently serves as the district management supervisor in Jasper. His area includes Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs. After his constituents raised the question of how heavy tournament usage at Sam Rayburn Reservoir affected the bass population at the lake, Driscoll led a groundbreaking bass tournament impact study that involved tagging and monitoring over 6,000 fish in one year. This work led Driscoll and his team to develop and implement fish care practices at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic. —TPWD
Bass at Lake Waco Continued from page 8
3/8-ounce worm weights.” On a recent trip, both Copeland and Underwood pitched Craw Tubes and white Yum Money Minnows. It was easy fishing for bass up to about 6 pounds. “As bass move into a post-spawn transition, we’ll move off the bank and fish the break line with big worms,” Copeland said. “We’ve done well with creature baits while flipping to structure in 8- to 14-feet of water. We’ll also fish squarebilled crankbaits over rocks and wood in 3 to 10 feet. That’s a good summer pattern, too. What we’ll do is run the cranks
into structure and that will trigger a bite.” The lake record largemouth is 13.87 pounds, caught on March 9, 2008 by Ricky Culverhouse. Zebra mussels have been found in the lake, requiring boaters to clean, drain and dry their boat, trailer, livewells, bait buckets and other gear before traveling to another lake or river. Lake Waco has ten public boat ramps. Most ramps charge a $4 launch fee. A $30 annual day use/boat ramp permit is available.
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April 14, 2017
LoneOStar Outdoor News
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HEROES
Liam Berg, 7, harvested his first deer with a .243 while hunting with his dad, Ed, at their family ranch in Bosque County.
Steve Fogle of Lewisville was fishing Lake Lewisville and caught this nice hybrid striper while trolling.
Raymond Alyn recently shot this Spanish goat at Devil’s River State Park at 300 yards.
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.
Cooper Wofford, 13, took his first deer — a whitetailed doe — on a ranch in Jack County.
Hunter Benson of Arizona took his first mule deer in West Texas near Van Horn.
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Hungry bass Continued from page 1
placed eighth. On Lake Belton, where a 13.97-pounder was caught by Kurt Luker of Cleveland on April 1, Randy Hibler and Randall Christian combined for 23.48 pounds to win $20,000 at the Bass Champs event on April 8. Their best luck came on white spinner baits and small creature baits in 2 to 4 feet.
TIME TO FISH: Both tournament and recreational anglers are reporting a good bass bite in most Texas lakes. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News. v
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LoneOStar Outdoor News
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TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases
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2017 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets
2017 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets
14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri
14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu
8:29 9:20 10:12 11:03 11:54 12:20 1:07
21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri
8:23 2:12 9:14 3:03 10:06 3:54 10:57 4:45 11:48 5:36 12:14 6:26 1:01 7:13 1:47 8:00 2:32 8:45 3:17 9:30 4:03 10:16 4:51 11:04 5:43 11:57 6:41 12:27 7:44 1:29
8:46 9:37 10:29 11:21 ----12:38 1:26 2:12 2:58 3:43 4:29 5:18 6:11 7:10 8:14
2:34 3:26 4:18 5:09 6:00 6:50 7:38 8:25 9:10 9:55 10:42 11:31 12:25 12:56 1:59
06:55 06:54 06:53 06:52 06:51 06:50 06:49 06:48 06:47 06:46 06:45 06:44 06:43 06:42 06:41
07:46 07:47 07:48 07:48 07:49 07:50 07:50 07:51 07:51 07:52 07:53 07:53 07:54 07:55 07:55
10:59p 9:16a 11:50p 9:57a NoMoon 10:40a 12:39a 11:27a 1:27a 12:17p 2:12a 1:10p 2:56a 2:06p 3:38a 3:04p 4:20a 4:04p 5:00a 5:06p 5:41a 6:10p 6:22a 7:16p 7:06a 8:23p 7:52a 9:31p 8:43a 10:37p
2:18 3:08 4:00 4:51 5:42 6:31 7:19
8:52 9:43 10:35 11:27 ----12:44 1:32
2:40 3:31 4:23 5:15 6:06 6:56 7:44
06:58 06:57 06:56 06:55 06:53 06:52 06:51
1:53 8:06
2:18
8:31
06:50 08:00 3:48a
2:38 3:23 4:08 4:57 5:49 6:47 7:50
3:03 3:48 4:35 5:24 6:17 7:16 8:20
9:16 10:01 10:48 11:37 12:31 1:02 2:05
8:51 9:36 10:21 11:10 ----12:33 1:35
06:49 06:48 06:47 06:46 06:45 06:44 06:43
07:55 07:56 07:56 07:57 07:58 07:58 07:59 08:01 08:01 08:02 08:03 08:04 08:04 08:05
11:10p 9:17a NoMoon 9:57a 12:02a 10:41a 12:51a 11:27a 1:38a 12:17p 2:24a 1:11p 3:07a 2:08p 3:07p
4:28a 4:08p 5:08a 5:12p 5:47a 6:17p 6:27a 7:24p 7:09a 8:32p 7:54a 9:41p 8:44a 10:49p
San Antonio 2017 Apr.
A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets
14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri
8:36 2:24 9:27 3:15 10:18 4:06 11:10 4:58 ----- 5:49 12:26 6:38 1:14 7:26 2:00 8:12 2:45 8:57 3:29 9:42 4:15 10:28 5:03 11:17 5:56 ----6:54 12:39 7:57 1:42
8:58 9:50 10:42 11:34 12:01 12:50 1:38 2:25 3:10 3:55 4:41 5:30 6:24 7:23 8:27
2:47 3:38 4:30 5:22 6:13 7:03 7:51 8:37 9:23 10:08 10:54 11:44 12:38 1:08 2:12
07:08 07:07 07:06 07:05 07:04 07:03 07:02 07:01 07:00 06:59 06:58 06:57 06:56 06:55 06:54
07:58 07:59 08:00 08:00 08:01 08:01 08:02 08:03 08:03 08:04 08:05 08:05 08:06 08:06 08:07
11:11p 9:30a NoMoon 10:10a 12:02a 10:54a 12:51a 11:41a 1:39a 12:31p 2:24a 1:24p 3:08a 2:20p 3:51a 3:18p 4:32a 4:18p 5:13a 5:19p 5:54a 6:23p 6:35a 7:28p 7:19a 8:35p 8:06a 9:43p 8:57a 10:49p
Amarillo
2017 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Apr. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets
14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri
8:49 2:38 9:40 3:28 10:32 4:20 11:23 5:11 ----- 6:02 12:40 6:51 1:27 7:39 2:13 8:26 2:58 9:11 3:43 9:56 4:29 10:42 5:17 11:30 6:09 ----7:07 12:53 8:10 1:55
9:12 10:03 10:55 11:47 12:14 1:04 1:52 2:38 3:24 4:09 4:55 5:44 6:37 7:36 8:40
3:00 3:52 4:43 5:35 6:26 7:16 8:04 8:51 9:36 10:21 11:08 11:57 12:51 1:22 2:25
07:16 07:15 07:13 07:12 07:11 07:10 07:08 07:07 07:06 07:05 07:04 07:02 07:01 07:00 06:59
08:17 08:18 08:19 08:20 08:21 08:21 08:22 08:23 08:24 08:25 08:25 08:26 08:27 08:28 08:29
11:36p 9:34a NoMoon 10:13a 12:28a 10:56a 1:17a 11:43a 2:04a 12:33p 2:49a 1:27p 3:32a 2:25p 4:12a 3:25p 4:51a 4:27p 5:30a 5:32p 6:08a 6:38p 6:46a 7:47p 7:27a 8:56p 8:12a 10:07p 9:01a 11:15p
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 Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Time 7:07 AM 12:29 AM 1:14 AM 2:05 AM 3:02 AM 4:06 AM 5:11 AM 6:13 AM 12:56 AM 1:55 AM 2:50 AM 3:42 AM 4:36 AM 5:30 AM 6:28 AM
Port O’Connor Height 1.7H 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4L 0.5L 0.5L 0.5L 1.5H 1.6H 1.8H 1.9H 2.1H 2.1H 2.1H
Time 12:33 PM 7:58 AM 9:01 AM 10:20 AM 11:40 AM 12:37 PM 1:14 PM 1:43 PM 7:10 AM 8:02 AM 8:51 AM 9:39 AM 10:26 AM 11:14 AM 12:04 PM
Height 1.2L 1.7H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 0.5L 0.6L 0.7L 0.8L 0.9L 1.1L 1.2L
Time 4:49 PM 1:14 PM 2:08 PM
Height 1.4H 1.3L 1.4L
7:12 7:22 2:07 2:29 2:52 3:16 3:41 4:09 4:39
1.2L 1.1L 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.7H 1.7H
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
Time
Height
4:44 PM 4:36 PM
1.4H 1.4H
11:41 PM
1.3H
7:48 PM 8:21 PM 8:58 PM 9:38 PM 10:22 PM 11:09 PM 11:59 PM
0.9L 0.6L 0.4L 0.1L -0.1L -0.2L -0.2L
Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Time 7:46 AM 12:29 AM 1:07 AM 1:53 AM 2:46 AM 3:43 AM 4:47 AM 6:02 AM 12:17 AM 1:49 AM 2:59 AM 4:02 AM 5:00 AM 5:56 AM 6:55 AM
Height 1.7H 0.1L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.5L 1.3H 1.4H 1.6H 1.8H 2.0H 2.1H 2.1H
Time 1:46 PM 8:51 AM 9:52 AM 10:51 AM 11:56 AM 12:52 PM 1:30 PM 1:57 PM 7:08 AM 8:03 AM 9:00 AM 10:06 AM 11:12 AM 12:09 PM 1:10 PM
Height 1.2L 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 0.5L 0.6L 0.7L 0.9L 1.0L 1.2L 1.3L
Time 5:13 PM 3:14 PM
Height 1.3H 1.3L
7:58 8:07 2:19 2:40 3:03 3:27 3:53 4:20 4:48
1.2L 1.1L 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H
Height 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.9H 1.0H 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H
Time 8:25 AM 9:41 AM 10:44 AM 12:04 PM 1:10 PM 1:50 PM 2:17 PM 2:31 PM 8:15 AM 9:09 AM 10:14 AM 11:18 AM 12:13 PM 1:10 PM 2:20 PM
Height 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 0.4L 0.5L 0.6L 0.7L 0.8L 1.0L 1.1L
Time
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
Time
Height
5:23 PM
1.3H
10:30 PM
1.2H
8:17 PM 8:35 PM 9:04 PM 9:42 PM 10:25 PM 11:10 PM 11:57 PM
0.9L 0.7L 0.5L 0.2L 0.0L -0.2L -0.3L
Time 12:37 AM 1:12 AM 1:57 AM 2:49 AM 3:42 AM 4:39 AM 6:07 AM 7:22 AM 1:12 AM 2:22 AM 3:29 AM 4:37 AM 5:37 AM 6:35 AM 7:46 AM
9:02 2:44 3:03 3:24 3:45 4:05 4:23 4:43
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
Height
0.8L 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.0H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H
Time
9:16 PM 9:29 PM 9:49 PM 10:25 PM 11:08 PM 11:51 PM
Height
0.7L 0.6L 0.4L 0.2L 0.1L -0.1L
Freeport Harbor Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Time 7:20 AM 12:01 AM 12:38 AM 1:21 AM 2:13 AM 3:17 AM 4:21 AM 5:29 AM 6:48 AM 1:24 AM 2:31 AM 3:33 AM 4:36 AM 5:38 AM 6:38 AM
Time 3:04 AM 3:36 AM 4:21 AM 5:29 AM 7:12 AM 8:42 AM 1:00 AM 2:36 AM 3:58 AM 12:01 AM 12:20 AM 12:42 AM 1:08 AM 1:41 AM 2:20 AM
Time 12:08 PM 1:05 PM 2:04 PM 3:04 PM 4:00 PM 4:49 PM 5:30 PM 6:01 PM 6:16 PM 10:12 AM 11:13 AM 11:22 PM
Height 0.8H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 0.8H 0.8H 0.7H 0.5L 0.6L 0.3L
Time
10:29 AM 11:41 AM
1.0H 1.0H
Time 2:49 AM 3:40 AM 4:32 AM 5:26 AM 6:21 AM 7:15 AM 8:06 AM 8:55 AM 1:14 AM 3:00 AM 5:15 AM 8:20 AM 12:23 AM 1:20 AM 2:16 AM
Height 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L
Time 5:33 PM 6:22 PM 7:22 PM 8:28 PM 9:35 PM 10:41 PM 11:51 PM
Height 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H
9:40 AM 10:21 AM 10:55 AM 10:54 AM 2:52 PM 3:12 PM 4:00 PM
0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4L 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H
5:15 4:32 3:53 3:14
Height 1.2H 1.2H 0.4L 0.4L 0.4L 0.5L 0.5L 0.5L 0.6L 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H
Time 11:18 AM 2:19 PM 9:05 AM 11:14 AM 12:33 PM 1:32 PM 2:09 PM 2:27 PM 1:39 PM 8:03 AM 8:54 AM 9:45 AM 10:38 AM 11:36 AM 12:41 PM
Height 1.1L 1.1L 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.1H 0.7L 0.8L 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L
Height 1.4H 1.4H 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4L 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.5H 1.6H
Time 11:57 PM
Height 0.2L
Time
9:46 AM 11:05 AM 12:26 PM 1:18 PM 1:45 PM 2:01 PM 2:11 PM 8:03 AM 9:08 AM 10:13 AM 11:21 AM 10:38 PM 11:27 PM
1.4H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H 1.3H 1.2H 1.2H 0.5L 0.7L 0.8L 1.0L -0.2L -0.3L
Height 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.4H 0.0L
Time 1:17 PM 1:28 PM 1:45 PM 2:11 PM 4:55 PM 4:58 PM 4:46 PM 8:08 AM 9:12 AM 10:16 AM 10:49 AM 11:06 AM 11:15 AM
Height 0.3H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.3H 0.3H 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L
1:25 PM
0.4H
9:52 PM 4:13 PM 3:05 PM
Time
PM PM PM PM
Height
0.6L 0.6H 0.7H
Height
Time
10:14 PM 10:45 PM
Time
Height
0.5L 0.4L
Height
0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H
8:48 PM 10:16 PM 11:24 PM
0.4L 0.3L 0.3L
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Time 6:42 AM 7:39 AM 12:20 AM 1:06 AM 1:58 AM 2:59 AM 4:17 AM 6:00 AM 7:07 AM 12:37 AM 1:52 AM 3:03 AM 4:13 AM 5:23 AM 6:41 AM
Time 4:17 PM 4:30 PM
Height 1.2H 1.2H
Time 11:40 PM
Height 0.4L
8:11 8:19 1:39 1:57 2:18 2:38 2:57 3:17
1.0L 0.9L 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H
11:11 PM
1.1H
8:26 PM 8:32 PM 9:01 PM 9:42 PM 10:29 PM 11:20 PM
0.8L 0.6L 0.4L 0.3L 0.1L 0.1L
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
South Padre Island Height 1.7H 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.5L 0.5L 1.3H 1.5H 1.7H 1.9H 2.0H 2.1H
Time
Height
8:23 AM 9:34 AM 10:35 AM 11:29 AM 12:20 PM 1:01 PM 1:28 PM 1:50 PM 7:56 AM 8:57 AM 10:09 AM 11:32 AM 12:44 PM 2:01 PM
1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 0.6L 0.7L 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L
Height 0.4L 0.4L 0.4L 0.5L 0.5L 0.4L 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H 0.9L 0.7L 0.6L 0.4L 0.3L 0.3L
Time 11:08 AM 5:18 PM 5:41 PM 5:58 PM 6:01 PM 5:46 PM 9:49 AM 10:47 AM 11:40 AM 5:11 AM 6:17 AM 7:20 AM 8:23 AM 9:29 AM 10:42 AM
Height 1.2H 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 0.4L 0.4L 0.5L 1.4H 1.4H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H
Time
8:15 8:12 2:11 2:33 2:57 3:23 3:50 4:18
PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM
Height
Time
Height
1.0L 0.9L 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H
11:54 PM
1.2H
8:19 PM 8:39 PM 9:09 PM 9:48 PM 10:34 PM 11:25 PM
0.7L 0.5L 0.3L 0.0L -0.1L -0.2L
Time 2:06 PM
Height 1.1L
Time 7:54 PM
Height 1.2H
10:58 PM 5:48 PM 5:58 PM 6:07 PM 12:32 PM 1:23 PM 2:17 PM 3:16 PM 4:25 PM
1.1L 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 0.6L 0.7L 0.9L 1.0L 1.2L
11:18 PM 11:40 PM
1.1L 1.0L
6:14 6:21 6:30 6:42 6:54
1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H
Rollover Pass Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Height 0.3L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4L 0.7H 0.7H 0.8H 0.9H 0.2L 0.1L
Port Aransas
San Luis Pass Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Rockport
Time 1:37 AM 2:12 AM 2:55 AM 3:49 AM 4:51 AM 5:59 AM 7:08 AM 8:13 AM 9:14 AM 2:56 AM 5:27 AM 7:52 AM 9:14 AM 12:04 AM 12:51 AM
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Time 7:41 AM 8:39 AM 12:32 AM 1:14 AM 2:04 AM 3:07 AM 4:22 AM 5:41 AM 6:55 AM 1:07 AM 2:35 AM 3:50 AM 4:58 AM 6:06 AM 7:16 AM
8:28 8:14 2:17 2:18 2:12 2:06
PM PM PM PM PM PM
Height
1.0L 0.8L 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H
Time
Height
10:40 PM
1.0H
8:24 8:45 9:16 9:54
0.6L 0.4L 0.2L 0.0L
PM PM PM PM
East Matagorda
PM PM PM PM PM
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Time 12:41 AM 2:27 AM 3:06 AM 3:41 AM 4:25 AM 6:47 AM 7:30 AM 12:19 AM 1:15 AM 2:11 AM 3:53 AM 5:25 AM 6:49 AM 9:13 AM 12:19 AM
Time
10:04 PM 4:47 PM 2:55 PM 3:04 PM 3:28 PM 3:55 PM 4:21 PM
Height
0.3L 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H
Time
10:16 10:23 10:21 10:33 11:00 11:34
PM PM PM PM PM PM
Height
0.3L 0.2L 0.2L 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L
Texas Coast Tides
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
Date Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr 16 Apr 17 Apr 18 Apr 19 Apr 20 Apr 21 Apr 22 Apr 23 Apr 24 Apr 25 Apr 26 Apr 27 Apr 28
LSONews.com
LoneOStar Outdoor News
April 14, 2017
Page 19
Book covers fly-fishing, backpacking By Shannon Drawe
For Lone Star Outdoor News Daniel E. Steere’s “Backpack Fly Fishing — A Back-to-Basics Approach,” is more about fly-fishing than it about backpack fly-fishing, but it is stuffed full of great information and knowledge about different fish that can be caught on a fly rod. Many Texas fly-fishers have backpacked into the high mountains of Colorado, or have dreams of doing just that. Over the decades, fly-fishing, because of its lightweight nature and ability to present a fly to wary trout, has been one of the main methods backpackers use in primitive hiking. Once fly-rod makers began to construct fly rods with multiple ferrules, it gave backpackers the ability to break down a rod into a tube that can be less than 2 feet long and weigh less than 3 ounces. Steere’s book does justice to some of the many species that can be caught with a fly rod, and their general habitat. While Texans still flock to the mountains of western states for their camping, backpacking and fly-fishing excitement each summer, Steere refreshingly explores other types of fish that can be caught on backpacking trips. There is a lot of backpacking to be done east of the Mississippi, and fish in those states are not limited to trout. Steere covers smallmouth bass, largemouth, chain pickerel and other species more dominant in the Eastern U.S. — fish that can be targeted for those headed east for their backpacking trip this summer. “Backpack Fly Fishing” also has sections on coastal fly-fishing, including locations, as well as particular locations to fly-fish in Canada. Steere also throws in information on other activities that a backpacking fly-fisher might be interested in pursuing while on
C
BACK COUNTRY: Compact fly rods are ideal for backpacking into remote areas. A new book is a good resource for those headed out across the country. Photo by Shannon Drawe, for Lone Star Outdooor News.
the trail. He encourages “blurring the line between fishing and other activities,” and his lists and tips on observation, science and keeping records are great ways to start a young person’s outdoor life. Steere’s book is a good reference book for a younger person who is already fly-fishing, but may want to take a fly rod along on a scout trip or their first group backpacking trip. It is also a good resource for those looking for specific information on the locations mentioned by the author. “Backpack Fly Fishing — A Back-to-Basics Approach,” published by Skyhorse Publishing, is available at the major online bookstores. The book or ebook costs $16.99.
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©2017 EAGLE CLAW FISHING TACKLE | DENVER, COLORADO | EAGLECLAW.COM
LY L A IC ENED G R SU HARP OLOGY S CHN TE
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Page 20
April 14, 2017
LoneOStar Outdoor News
INDUSTRY
OUTDOOR PUZZLER OUTDOOR PUZZLER
Nees joins Leupold
Solution on on Page Solution Page26 26
1 4
5
6
7 10
12
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. hired Rob Nees as the optics vice president of manufacturing and global supply chain.
2
3
8
9
11
13
14
15
16
18
19 20
27
21
23 24
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28 29 31
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1. 3. 4. 8. 13. 14. 17. 18. 20. 22. 24. 26. 27. 29. 32. 33. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39.
ACROSS A light one is best for dogs to scent birds An important 1. A lighttool oneinisquail best management for dogs to scent Popularbirds bait along coast The allowable catch 3. Anmanufacturer important tool in quail management A feeder 4. poachers Popular bait along coast Report here Canoe-like used catch for duck hunting 8. The boat allowable The13. bass' spawning area A feeder manufacturer A member of the deer family 14. Report poachers here A good hook for catch-and-release fishing Canoe-likeExpo boat used for duck hunting Site17. of Hoffpauir The bass’ spawning area The18. Classic winner at Conroe A minnow species of the deer family 20. A member The22. wildA turkey's weapons good hook for catch-and-release fishing The tube atop a rifle 24. Site of Hoffpauir Expo newsroom dog The Lone Star Outdoor News' 26. The Classic winner at Conroe Spinning-wing decoy manufacturer Texas head to Broken Bow in this state 27.anglers A minnow species Wieshuhn's show, Trailing the Hunter's ____ 29. The wild turkey’s weapons New CKWRI director 32. The tube atop a rifle Oak that produces tasty acorns for deer 33. The Lone Star Outdoor News’ newsroom dog 35. Spinning-wing decoy manufacturer 36. Texas anglers head to Broken Bow in this state 37. Wieshuhn’s show, Trailing the Hunter’s ____ 38. New CKWRI director 39. Oak that produces tasty acorns for deer
Nature’s Calling
Aimpoint gets Army contract Aimpoint has been awarded a contract for supply of 30,000 M68 Close Combat Optics to the U.S. Army.
GPO retains Murski GPO, USA hired Murski Breeding Sales to represent it in 37 states.
35
Across
Warne hiring operations leader Warne Scope Mounts is seeking an experienced operations leader.
17
22
LSONews.com
Down
1.DOWN Central Texas lake with most recent ShareLunker 1. Central Texas lake with most recent 2. AnShareLunker ATV/UTV brand 4. Watch for these when shed hunting An ATV/UTV 5. 2. A type of turkeybrand call Watch forfor these 6. 4. Good bays troutwhen shed hunting 7. 5. Lure that of imitates hollow-body ____ A type turkey amphibian, call 9. 6. File this bays return April 15 Good forbytrout 10. The gray duck that imitates amphibian, hollow-body 11. 7. HeLure helps the hunter find game ____ 12. A smaller deer out west Filethat this flows returnthrough by AprilSeguin 15 15. 9. River 16.10. Also rabbit fever Thecalled gray duck 17.11. A West Texas He helps theriver hunter find game 19. A duck species 12. A smaller deer 21. A quail species out west Riveronthat 23.15. Large theflows mulethrough deer Seguin 25.16. A fishing knot rabbit fever Also called 28.17. A crossbow manufacturer A West Texas river 29. A grouse species 19. A duck species 30. An African antelope A quail 31.21. The youngspecies elk 23. 25. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 34.
Large on the mule deer A fishing knot A crossbow manufacturer A grouse species An African antelope The young elk State with the most pheasants, ____ Dakota Slows down the drift
By Aaron Anderson, For Lone Star Outdoor News
Barrett new RMEF chairman Philip Barrett is the new chairman of its Board of Directors of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. An avid hunter, RMEF life member and conservationist, Barrett is also vice president of finance for Chick-fil-A.
Grizzly hires rep group Grizzly Cartridge Company has hired Elite Outdoor Sports Marketing as its national sales representation company.
New president at Torqeedo Marcia Kull has been named president of Torqeedo Group, Inc., an electric marine propulsion manufacturer.
Fields new sales manager at Steiner Steiner Optics named Seth Fields as the national sales manager, commercial accounts.
New CEO at TrackingPoint TrackingPoint, Inc. appointed Ken D’Arcy as the company’s chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board.
Delta Waterfowl seeks regional director Delta Waterfowl is looking to hire a regional director for Arkansas and Oklahoma.
Priefert receives top award from Employer Support of the Guard Priefert Manufacturing received the Pro Patria Award by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, an official office of the Department of Defense.
FOR THE TABLE *email LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.
Venison meatballs with sauerkraut and cranberry For venison: 2 pounds ground venison 3 eggs slightly beaten 1/2 of a package of Lipton onion soup mix Fresh cracked pepper Chopped garlic to taste
In a bowl, mix together meatball ingredients and form into small meatballs placing into baking dish. In another bowl, mix sauerkraut and cranberry ingredients and pour the mix over the meatballs. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
For sauerkraut mixture: 1 can drained sauerkraut 1/3 cup of barbecue sauce 1 cup brown sugar 1 can of whole berry cranberry sauce
—NSSF
Seared tuna with avocado and mango salsa 1 pound sushi-grade yellowfin tuna loin 1 tbsp. blackened seasoning blend 1 ripe, avocado, seeded, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice 1 ripe mango cut in 1/2-inch dice 1/4 cup sweet red peppers, diced 1/4 cup yellow peppers, diced 1 tbsp. fresh jalapeño, diced fine 2 tbsps. fresh cilantro, chopped 1 lime, juiced Sea salt and fresh ground pepper Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season all sides of the tuna loin with the blackened
seasoning. Sear tuna in the hot oil until browned but still pink in the center, about 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Remove seared tuna from the pan and set on a paper towel to rest. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine avocado, mango, diced peppers, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice. Stir to combine; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve tuna, place an even amount of salsa on each serving plate. Using a very sharp knife, slice seared tuna thinly across the grain. Arrange the sliced tuna around the salsa. —Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
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Massive illegal seafood network uncovered A Houston restaurateur and two local restaurant companies have been charged with operating an illegal seafood network that funneled nearly 28,000 pounds of unlawfully caught finfish through their establishments at a profit estimated at more than $400,000. Based on evidence gathered during a two-year investigation, Texas game wardens believe the illegal network has been ongoing since at least 2013 and could be the largest of its kind in Texas history. The illegal catches were made by a web of about a dozen unlicensed commercial fishermen and sold to the restaurants. Their catches consisted primarily of red snapper, along with other protected game fish species, including tuna, amberjack, grouper and red drum. Texas game wardens allege that Bruce Molzan, 59, of Houston, purchased and then sold the illegal finfish off the menus at restaurant businesses he is associated with — Ruggles Green and Ruggles Black. Another restaurant also illegally sold shrimp to Molzan for use in his restaurants in violation of commercial fish wholesale
regulations. Wardens issued more than 200 Class C misdemeanor citations, including unlawful purchase of aquatic products by a restaurant, sales and purchases of protected finfish, operating without a wholesale fish dealer’s license and related commercial fishing-related issues. Additional cases are anticipated. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration special agents and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the investigation. NOAA also filed felony charges against two recreational anglers in Freeport in connection with the case. The scope of the investigation expanded significantly last April after U.S. Coast Guard crews stopped an unlicensed commercial fishing boat in coastal waters near Freeport with 488 red snapper weighing approximately 1,900 pounds. Texas game wardens and the National Marine Fisheries Service seized the fish and investigators were able to link the subjects with the illegal seafood operation. —TPWD
Drone data Continued from page 1
game lands. The recordings collected by the drone were fed into a computer, which identified and counted the birds based on their calls. “If a human can tell the difference between two species, a computer can,” said Wilson, an assistant professor at Gettysburg College. The experiments on state game lands directly compared data obtained by drone with traditional ground-based surveys of the same areas. Overall, there were few significant differences between the results produced by the two methods. Although the data collected was mainly on songbirds, the technique would be just as valid on most game birds, Wilson said. His study collected mourning dove data, but doves were undercounted because their low-frequency calls weren’t picked up easily by the recorder due to the drone noise. However, Wilson said that as technology improves, the limitation with dove and other species will be removed. “Oh yeah, absolutely, it could be used on grouse and turkey. I have no doubt it could be useful,” Wilson said. Jason Hardin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department turkey program leader, was intrigued with the possibility and has considered uses for drones in management efforts as well. Hardin said biologists looked into the possibility of equipping infrareds on drones and flying them where turkey roost, then counting them via heat signature. Another idea is to use drones to flush quail to get a count or even count big horn sheep and deer. That job is currently done via helicopter. The problem is that regulations mandate that drones can’t be used out of line of sight currently, he said, which limits the application. “I think this has a lot of potential for technology moving into the future,” Hardin said. Jordan Menge, a biologist with Quail and Pheasants Forever near Lubbock, said technology such as drones could help verify game bird populations. In the case of quail management, that could help biologist determine what steps should be taken to maintain their numbers. “I think it could be a great technology. It’s just going to allow us to see what’s out there,” Menge said.
For: Lone Star Outdoor News
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Due: 3/10/17
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PRODUCTS FINESSE FLUORCARBON LINE: Seaguar’s technique-specific line allows anglers to finesse their fishing style to coax more bites in challenging conditions. This soft and strong line is made using a double-structure process that combines two fluorocarbon resins to create a line with smaller diameters and exceptional knot and tensile strength. It’s soft and supple with low memory, making it a great choice for finesse applications. Available on 150-yard spools and four sizes (5.2 lbs., 6.2 lbs. 7.3 lbs. and 8.4 lbs.), the line costs about $27.
>>
(212) 867-7040 seaguar.com
>>
RENEGADE CROSSBOW: TenPoint Crossbow Technologies’ CEO describes its latest crossbow as lightweight, narrow and fast, with some of the industry’s best safety features. The just shy of 38-inches-long crossbow, which shoots up to 335 fps, is built on a Fusion UltraLite stock. Configured with optimal comb-height and length-of-pull, this stock is made from long-fiber thermoplastics and employs strategically placed cutouts in the fore-grip and butt stock to reduce weight and provide superior handling and balance. The fore-grip cutouts also allow a hunter to wrap his thumb and fingers into the grip. Additionally, glass-reinforced nylon safety wings above the grip help keep the shooter’s fore-grip hand safely below the arrow flight deck. The Renegade, which comes in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo, also features a fully machined aluminum riser that is fitted with 13-inch tactical black limbs powered by XR wheels and DynaFLIGHT 97 string and cables. Available as a complete package that includes the scope, cocking mechanism, three Pro Elite carbon arrows and quiver, the MSRP for the crossbow is $599 with no cocking mechanism, $699 with the ACUdraw 50 cocking mechanism, or $799 with the ACUdraw option.
>>
SIG HT AMMUNITION: Sig Sauer, Inc., has expanded its line of premium-grade rifle ammunition with the addition of .308 Win. Featuring an all-copper bullet that delivers deep penetration and maximum terminal ballistic performance, this accurate ammo is ideal for hunting numerous species of game such as deer, antelope, pigs and predators. The 150-grain .308 Win features a muzzle velocity of 2,900 fps. The cartridges are made with premium nickelplated shell cases, and flash-reduced propellant is used to minimize visible signature while shooting in low-light situations. A box costs about $30. (603) 610-3000 sigsauer.com
(330) 628-9245 tenpointcrossbows.com
TOM MACK HUNT KNIFE: This hunting knife by White River Knives is designed for field use on small and large game. The 8.75-inchlong knife is crafted with tough CPM S30V steel blades for superior edge retention. Its ergonomic handle, which is made from Micarta, a material that offers plenty of grip or tackiness even when wet, incorporates a generous palm swell for comfort and control. The knife costs about $180. (616) 997-0026 whiteriverknives.com
>>
BICO JIG: This lure by BiCo Performance Jigs is a versatile 3/8-ounce lead-free jig with a stand-up design made to fish for bass in shallow cover, skipping under docks and trees or fished as a swim jig. Available in nine hues, the jig costs about $6.
>>
(508) 622-0830 bicojigs.com
AFFORDABLE, COMFORTABLE AND SECLUDED 20 CONCRETE BENCHES 100, 200 AND 300 YARD TARGETS RIFLE AND HANDGUN SHOOTING ONE HOUR EAST OF DALLAS ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS THE GUN RANGE FOR THE SERIOUS SHOOTER
214.728.5309 W W W. S M A L L G R O U P S R I F L E R A N G E . C O M
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©2016 Dallas Safari Club
Please join us in conservation, education and protecting hunters’ rights.
Next DSC Convention January 4-7, 2018 biggame.org
G R E A T E S T H U N T E R S ’ C O N V E N T I O N O N T H E P L A N E T TM
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NATIONAL California man catches 50-pound carp in downtown Los Angeles A member of the California Ghetto Carping club caught a record-breaking fish the last week of March in an inner city lake in Los Angeles. Club member Eddie Salmeron caught the 50-pound carp in MacArthur Park, near downtown Los Angeles. The whopper was caught in a small lake at the center of the park, which is inhabited by hundreds of homeless people and drug users. Sergio Talavera, president of the fishing club, has to exercise caution but he and his fellow club members are proud to fish for carp in some of Los Angeles’ less desirable spots. “Any park in Los Angeles that the normal fisherman will not go, we will go,” Talavera told the BBC. “We grew up in this kind of environment, so it’s no big deal to us.” Club member Eddie Salmeron caught the fish. Salmeron called the fight to reel the monster in the longest 10 minutes of his life. —Texas Public Radio
ON A LOW-FENCE RVESTED THIS BUCK AT HA , 29 , SE EE KN ER SUMM D, DENNIS, AND ING TRIP WITH HER DA NT HU A G RIN DU E AS LE SE SAW HER BUCK RRIZO SPRINGS. KNEE DOG, TUFFY, NEAR CA T HIM AT 150 YARDS ASON AND FINALLY GO THROUGHOUT THE SE R AND NIKON SCOPE. WITH HER .308 RUGE
Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars. You can check out the entire line at the nearest dealer:
Kansas nonresident deer permits available online Beginning in April, hunters interested in obtaining a nonresident deer permit may begin the online application process by visiting www.kshuntfishcamp.com. The cost to apply is $442.50 for hunters 16 and older and $117.50 for hunters 15 and younger, plus processing fees. Deadline to apply is April 28. Permits are awarded though a random computer drawing, so applying early will not give hunters any advantage in the lottery draw. Hunters interested in purchasing a preference point in lieu of applying may do so for $25, plus processing fees. —Kansas Department of Wildlife
See a full selection of Nikon products at:
Gibson’s Discount Center
111 W. Main St. Kerrville, TX 78028 (830) 257-3511 gibsonsdiscount.com
Louisiana boating education to be held this month The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will be hosting the seventh annual “Boating Education Lagniappe Day” on April 22 at nine different locations across the state. LDWF will provide instructors for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators boating education course, free of charge to the public at various locations. Anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 must complete a NASBLA approved boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower. —Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Minnesota trappers face charges for hundreds of illegal snares Two trappers were accused of running traplines that included more than 600 illegally set snares across four Northeastern Minnesota counties. Douglas Anthony Marana, 70, and Roderick Robert Kottom, 68, each have been charged with four counts of illegal trapping activities after a two-year investigation by Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources conservation officers, according to news accounts. The complaint states that the investigation resulted in the seizure of 638 illegal snares on trap lines operated by the two defendants. —Staff Report
Drone causes elk stampede A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Wildlife Officer issued a ticket for illegal use of an Unmanned Aircraft System, or drone, on the National Elk Refuge. A Washington, D.C. resident was cited and fined for disturbance of wildlife. The drone operator launched his equipment from a pullout along North Highway 89 and flew the UAS over a wintering herd of elk. The action created enough disruption to cause approximately 1,500 animals to bolt and run, dispersing the herd for nearly 1/2 mile. In addition to creating a wildlife disturbance, the drone was not registered through the Federal Aviation Administration. —U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Maryland man found guilty of poaching 17-point buck A man was recently convicted of illegally killing a potential state record white-tailed deer and ordered to pay a fine, make restitution to the state and perform community service. Ronald Wayne Roe, 28, of Worton, was found guilty on all counts of trespassing and poaching stemming from the shooting of a 17-point buck in September on private property, according to The Maryland Department of Natural Resources. District Judge John Nunn III sentenced Roe to pay $5,000 in restitution and perform 80 hours of community service, as mandated by the state’s anti-poaching law. Roe also received a $500 fine — $250 suspended — and three years of unsupervised probation. His hunting privileges were suspended for two years. —Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Arkansas goes to digital hunting licenses Hunters and anglers looking to renew their licenses this year will notice a big change from the long, tag-laden receipt they normally receive at their local sporting goods store. All licenses and permits sold by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission now will be available as a downloadable file outdoors enthusiasts can carry on their mobile phone or have printed off on a single piece of standard printer paper. The change in license format is part of an effort to make it as easy as possible for hunters and anglers to purchase and carry their license with them. Thanks to modern technology, anyone purchasing a hunting or fishing license, whether they purchase online or at a license vendor, will be able to carry their license with them on their mobile device. Game tags for deer and turkey also will be included in the printout, and will still need to be used during the 2017 turkey season. Hunters may use tags from a license purchased before the transition, or they can use one printed with their license on the new system. —Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
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CLASSIFIEDS HUNTING
FISHING
TRUCKS FOR SALE DFW Area
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TDHA - JOIN TODAY TEXAS DOVE HUNTERS ASSOC. TexasDoveHunters.com (210) 764-1189 NEED AMMO? Largest selection in Central Texas Lampassas (512) 556-5444 DEER LEASES Ozona, TX Crockett County Call Raymond Boatright (713) 705-6725 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 DECOYS WANTED WOODEN Duck and Goose. Top prices paid. Ask for David. (214) 361-2276 TEXAS TROPHY WHITETAILS
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QUAIL HUNTING PRESERVE Close to Dallas
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DATEBOOK APRIL 20
Coastal Conservation Association Dallas Chapter Banquet Frontiers of Flight Museum (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org Dallas Safari Club Annual Trophy and Photo Competition Awards Omni Hotel Park West, Dallas (972) 980-9800 biggame.org Coastal Conservation Association Fort Bend Chapter Banquet Fort Bend County Fairgrounds, Rosenberg (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org Ducks Unlimited McKinney Dinner Myers Park & Event Center (214) 578-3259 ducks.org/Texas
APRIL 21
Whitetails Unlimited Brazos Valley Deer Camp Brazos County Expo, Bryan whitetailsunlimited.com/events
APRIL 21-22
APRIL 27
Coastal Conservation Association Rio Grande Valley Banquet Boggus Ford Events Center (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
MAY 5
Ducks Unlimited Galveston Dinner Lone Star Flight Museum (409) 762-9900 ducks.org/Texas
MAY 5-7
APRIL 29
Texas Brigades 25th Anniversary Fundraiser Gillespie County Fair Grounds
Wishes for Warriors Sporting Clay Shoot Caney Creek Shooting Sports, Teague ttha.com
Taxidermy King Auction Will Rogers Coliseum, Fort Worth (512) 451-7633 taxidermyking.com
DSC Conservation Society Crawfish Festival Tailwaters Fly Fishing Co. (972) 980-9800 dscconservationsociety.org
Outdoor Women Gone Wild South Llano River State Park, Junction (325) 446-3190 junctiontexas.net
Continued from page 1
would require a permit through Texas Parks and Wildlife Department effective Sept. 1. Ruth Mesta, legislative director for Rep. Keough, said the bill is needed because the hogs have wised up to the sound of helicopters and avoid them. Hunting hogs and coyotes from hot-air balloons would solve that problem. “We watched a couple of videos,” Mesta said. “With a hot-air balloon, it’s a lot more quiet.” Mesta said the hogs in particular tear up farmland and both animals can be hostile. She added that Keough’s bill is supported by a collaboration of constituents. Keough, who was injured in an automobile accident, was not available for comment. However, Commissioner Miller explained that he asked Keough about opening up the bill due to interest in the idea. Miller said a landowner who wants to hunt out of hot-air balloons told him there was no clear way of getting a permit to hunt the varmints in question. The only law on the books stipulated they could be taken via helicopter. The idea is to offer an alternative way of hunting hogs and coyotes by air — and perhaps spark a novel hunting industry, Miller said. The landowner told Miller he tried it on his own property. The balloon would hover at about treetop level and would allow four or five hunters to shoot from it. Miller said he didn’t have the man’s name immediately available. “It has some limitations,” Miller said. “But, hey, one more tool in the toolbox — I’m all for that.” But Cory Allen, owner of Hog Birds helicopter hunting, isn’t exactly hog wild over the idea.
“I can tell you right now that the agility of a hot-air balloon won’t be very proficient in hunting hogs,” he said. Allen said hunters would probably only get one shot at hogs from a balloon before they run. Another problem for balloons would be power lines and wind. Helicopters can fly in 30-knot winds and drop and turn easily to keep up with fleeing hogs and coyotes. They can get hunters within 20 yards of hogs and within 200 feet of coyotes, which are more difficult to hunt than hogs, he added. “They change direction a whole lot more than a pig,” Allen said. Andy Anderson, who offers helicopter hunts with Executive Outdoor Adventures, chuckled when asked about hunting out of a balloon. “They have more important things to deal with than hot-air balloons,” said Anderson, mentioning the legislative debate concerning poisoning feral hogs. “I just can’t see it,” he added. Steering a hot-air balloon with the windy weather in Texas could pose a problem as well, he figured. But Anderson agreed there is a certain appeal to the idea. “I think it’s a cool image. I could see it if you did it at night with thermal imaging,” he said. Buck Wheat, a skilled hog hunter out of Eastland County who won top prize in this year’s Wise County Hog Contest, said the idea of hunting hogs out of a balloon would never have crossed his mind. “I just don’t know if that would be able to work,” Wheat said. “I would try it. Anything that’s not poison, I would be all for it.”
MAY 12
Houston Safari Club Greater Houston Gun Club Sporting Clays Tournament (713) 623-8844 houstonsafariclub.org
Lone Star Hunting and Fishing Expo McAllen Convention Center (956) 330-7402 lonestarhuntingexpo.com
MAY 13
Alzafar Shriners Pulling For Kids Charity Clay Shoot Joshua Creek Ranch, Boerne (830) 537-5090 joshuacreek.com
OUTDOOR PUZZLER Solution on Page 26
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Balloon hunting bill
Coastal Conservation Association Austin Chapter Banquet Palmer Events Center (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
Total Archery Challenge Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio (801) 380-6442 totalarcherychallenge.com
MAY 1-JULY 27
Sporting Clays Corporate Cup Summer Shooting League Night Joshua Creek Ranch, Boerne (830) 537-5090 joshuacreek.com
Coastal Conservation Association Fort Worth Chapter Banquet Joe T’s (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
Mule Deer Foundation Chapter Banquet, Bexar County (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org
Mule Deer Foundation Chapter Banquet, Van Horn (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org Texas Team Trail Lake Texoma Fishing Tournament, Denison texasteamtrail.com
MAY 11
Coastal Conservation Association San Antonio Chapter Banquet Freeman Expo Hall (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
Coastal Conservation Association Central Houston Chapter Banquet Bayou City Event Center (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org
Texas Trappers and Fur Hunters Association Spring Rendezvous Convention (806) 847-7562
APRIL 22
MAY 4
38
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Puzzle solution from Page 20
Down
1. A light one is best for dogs to scent birds 1. Central Texas lake with most recent [BREEZE] ShareLunker [BELTON] 3. An important tool in quail management [FIRE] 2. An ATV/UTV brand [YAMAHA] 4. Popular bait along coast [SHRIMP] 4. Watch for these when shed hunting [SNAKES] 8. The allowable catch [LIMIT] 5. A type of turkey call [SLATE] 13. A feeder manufacturer [OUTBACK] 6. Good bays for trout [MATAGORDA] 14. Report poachers here [OGT] 7. Lure that imitates amphibian, hollow-body ____ 17. Canoe-like boat used for duck hunting [FROG] [PIROGUE] 9. File this return by April 15 [TAX] 18. The bass' spawning area [BED] 10. The gray duck [GADWALL] 20. A member of the deer family [CERVID] 11. He helps the hunter find game [GUIDE] 22. A good hook for catch-and-release fishing 12. A smaller deer out west [BLACKTAIL] [CIRCLE] 15. River that flows through Seguin [GUADALUPE] 24. Site of Hoffpauir Expo [LAMPASAS] 16. Also called rabbit fever [TULAREMIA] 26. The Classic winner at Conroe [LEE] 17. A West Texas river [PECOS] 27. A minnow species [FATHEAD] 19. A duck species [MALLARD] 2017 STATE OF TEXAS ANGLERS’ RODEO 29. The wild turkey's weapons [SPURS] 21. A quail species [CALIFORNIA] CCA TEXAS TEXAS FORD[SCOPE] DEALERS · TILSON HOMES · CAPITAL FARMonCREDIT 32. The tube· atop a rifle 23. Large the mule deer [EARS] 33. The Lone Star Outdoor News' newsroom dog 25. A fishing knot [PALOMAR] [DAKOTA] 28. A crossbow manufacturer [HORTON] 35. Spinning-wing decoy manufacturer [MOJO] 29. A grouse species [SPRUCE] 30. An African antelope [SABLE]
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12 DIVISIONS 18 BOATS 5 TRUCKS 3 UVs
CC
Mem A b Ages ers 6-17 Fis
h ST
FREEAR !
INCLUDING STARKID AND STARTEEN DIVISIONS
Your EARLY REGISTRATION into the 2017 CCA TEXAS STAR Fishing Tournament enters you for a chance to win the DARGEL 210 SKOUT with a MERCURY 150 PRO XS OPTIMAX MOTOR and MCCLAIN TRAILER – a prize package valued at around $40,000! Sign up by APRIL 28, 2017 to be automatically entered. Must be 21 or older. (PHOTO IS FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)
For more information:
713.626.4222 ccatexas.org startournament.org
LSONews.com
LoneOStar Outdoor News
April 14, 2017
Page 27
Page 28
April 14, 2017
UP TO
LoneOStar Outdoor News
LSONews.com
30
$
HOT DEALS
Available at:
ON ELIGIBLE Nikon OPTICS 4/5/17 THROUGH 5/2/17
More Nikon savings at academy.com
• Multilayer-Coated Optics
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• Porro Prism System
• Porro Prism System
• Limited Lifetime Warranty/No-Fault Policy◊
• Limited Lifetime Warranty/No-Fault Policy◊
10x42
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10-22x50 Zoom 9999 -$ 2000 * $
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• 6-550-Yard Ranging Capability in 1-Yard Increments
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6x20 17999 -$ 3000 *
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◊ Nikon No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy and Limited Lifetime Warranty for Binoculars, LaserForce Rangefinder Binocular, Riflescopes and Fieldscopes. For full details of the Nikon No-Fault Repair/Replacement Policy and Limited Lifetime Warranty, visit NikonSportOptics.com. ◀RANGEFINDER LIMITED WARRANTY: If any Nikon rangefinder is found to have defects in workmanship or materials, we will, at our option, repair or replace it at no charge for a period of 2 years from date of purchase. * Participating Nikon authorized dealers and resellers only. Instant Savings amount deducted from dealer or reseller’s selling price. Offer valid for new eligible products only that are sold between April 5, 2017 and May 2, 2017 to retail customers by a Nikon authorized dealer or reseller within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Void where prohibited by law. All products are subject to availability. For eligible products and further details, please visit www.nikonpromo.com. † Actual selling price determined by dealer or reseller at time of sale. All Nikon trademarks are the property of Nikon Corporation.
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