Signs of fall bass biting
Fish moving, more aggressive
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
With just a hint of fall seemingly in the air, largemouth
bass have been on the move and feeding more aggressively. Fish are being caught in both shallow and deep water, and a variety of tactics and techniques are working to bring bass to the boat.
Canyon Lake guide Evan Coleman said the recent rains and cooler temperatures have significantly improved the largemouth bass bite. The fish are feeding along main lake channel swings and points with a gradual drop off out from the bank. Stretches with 2-12 feet of water have been the most productive.
“Spooks and other topwater baits are working well during the morning hours up along the bank, and then worked back out along these gradual drop-offs and depth changes,” Coleman said.
“Once the top-water action slows down, chatterbaits
Tristan Marsh landed this 10.08-pound bass on J.B. Thomas Reservoir.
An almost sweatless opener
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
Dove hunters were greeted with cooler than normal conditions when legal shooting time arrived on Sept. 1 for the opening morning of the season. Many were able to harvest a limit of birds without breaking a sweat, and most commented that they couldn’t remember an opener with such comfortable temperatures.
Rains arrived in many areas during the afternoon hours on opening day and put a damper on some hunters’ plans for the remainder of opening weekend.
North Zone dove hunters who spent opening weekend near Haskell and the surrounding areas with outfitter Ranger Creek Goose collectively harvested around 7,000 birds. Of the three generations of Hudsons — Steve, Bradley, and 7-year-old Henry — the adults said mourning dove continued to pour into the field after they harvested limits while on an opening morning shoot.
In the Lubbock area, owner and operator of Full Throttle Outdoors, Jacob Salmon, said the rains that hit the Panhandle region starting on the afternoon of opening day made for a muddy dove
“Our hunters had great shoots overall, despite the wet conditions,” Salmon said. “Cut milo fields were holding plenty of mourning dove.”
Salmon said there also have been good numbers of Eurasian-collared dove in the area.
Owners of Texas Dove Hunters Association, Charlotte Schuster and her husband, Cameron, spent opening morning with some friends in the Central Zone near Schertz.
“We were hunting next to a tank in a pasture, and the birds were few and far between,” she said. “The last couple of years, we have harvested limits in the
Sailing for drum
Tactic combines sail, trotline
By Logan Johnson For Lone Star outdoor newS
Like the red sail he has used for decades of success, Chis Olivo stands out among a sea of fishermen.
The 64-year-old Olivo isn’t hard to spot when he is in pursuit of a school of reds just off the causeway connecting Corpus Christi to Padre Island. He stands out from the crowd of anglers by his homemade sail line fishing rig marked by a small red sail anywhere from 200-400 yards out in the bay.
When given the choice between sail lining and the conventional rod and reel, Olivo’s choice is clear.
“I’d pick this, absolutely,” he said, referring to his sail line.
“It’s been a low tide here, but it’s getting better,” Olivo explained while casually adding a 30.5-inch red to his stringer. “In August the reds usually run through here, but this year they’re behind. I usually only have to run about 100-150 feet of line.”
It’s not unusual for Olivo to crank in three or more slot reds on a single line during this summer-to-fall transition.
This year marks Olivo’s 40th anniversary
Photo from Tristan Marsh.
Steve Hudson’s 7-year-old grandson, Henry, helped retrieve dove on opening day. Photos by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Chris Olivo uses a sail line to fish for drum and trout near his Corpus Christi home. Photo by Logan Johnson, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
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Quail uptick in much of state
By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS
Quail hunters look for it each September — the annual reports and season predictions from landowners, biologists and wildlife managers across the state.
The forecasts come via Dr. Dale Rollins, former executive director of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation, and his “quail trapline” consisting of ranchers, hunters, QuailMaster alumni, various “Students of Quail” and biologists.
Rollins said predictions across the state are mostly better than last year, and the best since 2017 for many, but still fair to poor in portions of the Rolling Plains. Hotspots are expected to be the northern Panhandle and western
parts of South Texas. In Oklahoma, some believe the season will be as good as the landowners can remember.
The report concluded that most who responded cited increased numbers from last year, with many surprised by the summer production after the heat that prevailed since July. Another common response was the sighting of large coveys (greater than 20 birds).
The eastern edge of the Rolling Plains was reported to remain a bust in Archer, Throckmorton and Coleman counties.
Rolling Plains
In Clay County, Jay Stine said, “With over 22 inches of rain from April through July, the range conditions were about as good as I have ever seen and are still holding up. I rate it an 8.5.”
Jerry Bob Daniel predicted an 8 in
northern Knox County, but Wyman Meinzer said in the southern part of the county the rating was a 4 at best.
In Cottle County, Dana Wright said, “My husband, Frank, says he’s mad at the quail. He’s constantly having to stop for them while driving around the ranch. I think we are above average.”
In Stonewall County, “Barefoot” Bob Richardson rated the upcoming season as a 7. Rick Snipes called it a 6.
Les Woolsey reported from Motley County, “Best I’ve seen in several years. Trying not to get too excited but can’t help it.”
Helicopter pilot Kyle Lange offered scores based on recent flying activity. “Reagan, Irion, Crockett, Schleicher, Tom Green, Coke and Nolan counties — I give them all a 5.
Firearms auction brings $23 million
Are Texas dove hunters losing public hunting lands?
By Cory Byrnes For Lone Star outdoor newS
A recent social media post caused hunters to chime in, many thinking public dove hunting opportunities are shrinking. At a popular location called Stiles Farm, one posted that the farm had decided not to lease to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for this season. From there, others opined as to why.
Many suggested that litter left behind by hunters, like shotgun shell hulls and drink cans, may have been the reason. Others commented on places they had hunted previously which are no longer available, some of which were from timber companies who didn’t renew their leases.
Each year, TPWD initiates 120-125 new leases to private landowners for public hunting use, according to Kelly Edmiston, public hunting coordinator. Of those 120, half are on a year-to-year lease which
New store opens in Albany
By Meghan Sharber For Lone Star outdoor newS
From a room full of eager buyers to numerous treasures to bid on, live auctions are thrilling — especially when they set a world record.
With over $23 million in total sales, Senior Account Executive Lauren Glascock said Rock Island Auction Company’s recent August Premier Auction, in Bedford, was a success.
For those who love hunting and the outdoors, Interactive Production Manager Joel Kolander shared they sold the world record for a Winchester Model 70 at $293,750.
“From its limited use in World War II, to its prolific presence with North American hunters, this robust reliable platform has a big place in collectors’ hearts,” according to RIAC. “When this Alden George Ul-
rich engraves and gold inlaid, pre64 Model 70 in .220 Swift crossed the podium, it started a bidding battle that ended with a new world record.”
The Winchester didn’t bring the biggest bids, though.
“The top highlight of the auction was an elaborate wheellock owned by French King Louis XIII,” Glascock said. “It marked the high price of the auction and commanded a new record for a wheellock firearm in the process, selling for $951,750 after auction fees, tax, and all associated costs.”
Other items included a gold Colt 1877 Thunderer of Sheriff Pat Garrett, a rare 28-gauge engraved shotgun by renowned maker Boss & Co., and a cased Colt Third Model Dragoon with rare 8-inch barrel.
“I am sure the readers know the importance of teaching younger
Lone Star outdoor newS
It was the Grand Opening of Big Country Outpost, in Albany, and it was the day before dove season. More than 100 people arrived after the doors opened at the full-service, small-scale boutique hunting store.
Managing member Chris Allen said the turnout was great.
“It was heavily weighted toward the local Albany crowd turning out to support us,” he said. “Over the weekend we saw plenty of traveling hunters come by.”
People stopping by at the event had food and drinks, including margaritas, and took advantage of discounts on blinds and feeders.
Filling a void in the hunting-centered town, the gun shop within the store garnered a lot of attention. Allen said the first gun sold was a Benelli 828U over-and-under.
“And people bought lots and lots of bags of corn,” he said.
Forecasts in South Texas and the northern Panhandle are for a good quail season, while estimates are spotty in the Rolling Plains. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Public land leases for dove hunters change each season, and some believe the trash left behind by some hunters are a part of the reason. Photo from Cayden Holland/Facebook.
A French King Louis XIII wheellock rifle sold for $951,750 at RIAC’s August auction in Bedford. Photo from RIAC.
The gun counter brought lots of attention at Big Country Outpost’s Grand Opening in Albany. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
On tracts where public hunting is al lowed, some hunters had good results with an average of eight birds per hunter, while others were closer to two birds, especially after opening day.
Some landowners expressed concern with the special season, and do not agree with still using the term “Special Whitewinged Dove Season.”
Others felt people were being penalized as hunters elsewhere in the state are allowed to bag their daily limits of white-winged or mourning dove from opening day. In the Special White-winged Dove Area, hunters may only bag two mourning dove per day.
Wildlife biologists and even game war-
game bird program leader, said they have been discussing the “special” season for a number of years.
Unfortunately, he said, dove are regulated by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which was signed in 1918 by the United States and Canada.
The prospect of opening the annual season to include full limits of mourning dove on Sept. 1 is unlikely, partly since it has not been changed for nearly 100 years.
“Historically,” he said, “the South Zone of the state has never been able to do so.”
The second three-day weekend didn’t provide everyone with great hunting either, with showers here and there, along with
Please turn to page 20
White-winged dove gather in South Texas sunflower fields. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Medicated quail feed sales booming
Since April when the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the drug Fenbendizol on wild quail, sales of QuailGuard medicated feed have been brisk, according to QuailGuard, LLC President Joe Crafton.
“Since taking orders in July, we have shipped over 1,000 bags (25 tons) of QuailGuard through August 31,” Crafton said. “One of the biggest surprises is the number of orders coming from South Texas. The eyeworm parasites of the Rolling Plains of West Texas has received the most attention where the eyeworm parasites infection rates were documented at over 80 percent. South Texas eyeworms were documented at less than 7 percent on bobwhite. However, the cecal worm parasites robs the bird of valuable nutrition and might be just as harmful. Cecal worms have been documented at over 80 percent across the entire
Lone Star outdoor newS
The long wait for medicated feed for quail is over, and customers are lining up. Photo from QuailGuard.
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Let the adventures begin
Son, 3, lands fish on fly rod
By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star outdoor newS
Simon Cosper recently went with his family to the Guadalupe River near Kerrville, where his 3-year-old son, Eli, caught his first fish.
Not only did the youngster catch his first fish, he caught a bunch of others, including Guadalupe bass and a variety of sunfish. And to top it all off, he caught them all on a fly rod using a dry fly.
Cosper said as the sun climbed higher into the sky and the warmer the air temperature got, the fish in the river began to concentrate in deeper pools with shaded areas.
“I found a little hole below some moving water that was holding a ton of fish around noon,” he said. “As I eased up to the edge of the bank, I saw fish just scatter everywhere. It looked like the perfect situation for a kid, because it seemed like there would be plenty of action and excitement.”
Cosper grabbed his 3-weight fly rod and a dry fly that looked like a grasshopper, and he and his son snuck up to the river’s edge.
“I put the rod in his hand, pulled about 8-10 feet of line out off of the reel, and then helped him make a short roll cast with the fly,” he explained. “As soon as the fly hit the water, all sorts of fish came rushing out of the shadows like piranhas. They were fighting over the fly, and Eli’s eyes got big with excitement.”
Cosper had attempted to take his son fishing before, but this was the first time everything seemed to click.
“He started catching fish on every cast,” he said. “Some of those little Guadalupe bass were putting up a great fight on that light action fly rod, and the bream were aggressive as well. He was having the time of his life reeling in those fish.”
Young Eli caught about 15 fish in the short adventure.
“It was almost like the first line of a book, or first chapter of a journey,” Cosper said. “I’m a huge A River Runs Through It fan. This moment with my son just felt like a scene out of that movie or book. It was perfect.”
Higher tides, different breezes change bite
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
It seems the Texas coast has received an early glimpse of fall, as the beginning of September brought the arrival of mild tem peratures and northerly breezes. Tide lev els rose from Rockport to Baffin Bay. This changed the pattern for many species; but anglers and guides willing to adapt and try new areas were rewarded with speckled trout, redfish and black drum.
Capt. Jesse Torres has been targeting wa ters in the Laguna Madre south of the JFK Causeway, as well as portions of Baffin Bay.
He said recent high tides have scattered the schools of black drum that had been pro viding consistent action for anglers.
“The most consistent bite has come from speckled trout over deep grass beds in 4 to 5 feet of water,” Torres said. “Live piggy perch and croaker have been producing the most strikes.”
Deep grass beds have been holding some nice speckled trout, with Torres’ anglers catching a lot of fish over the slot limit, and most of their keeper fish have been from 17-19.5 inches.
“There have been some oversized reds cruising around over deep grass beds,” Tor res said. “It’s not been uncommon to hook up with a bull red or two while targeting speckled trout.”
After chasing specks, Torres has been catching black drum over deep rocks in Baffin Bay with a popping cork and live shrimp.
“The drum are scattered but you can usually find a few over or near the edges of rocks,” Torres said. “We are catching an oc casional lower slot redfish alongside these drum over rocks, too.”
Aransas Pass area guide, Capt. Reggie Hanna, said redfish around Rockport, Port Aransas and Aransas Pass are beginning to school up.
“These schools tend to be scattered across
Tournaments addressing forward-facing sonar
Since forward-facing sonar burst on the bass-fishing scene over the past decade, it has stirred up anglers. Some claim it’s expensive video-game fishing, while others assert it’s an effective way to target quality
Regardless, it’s impact has been apparent in the numbers of lunkers caught using the method, especially on lakes like O.H. Ivie, where numbers of big fish are brought in each winter.
The tournament and tackle industries have taken notice.
The upstart National Professional Fishing League banned use of the technology, called “real-time imaging units” in its tournaments, beginning in 2025.
“We do not want competitive bass fishing to become a technology arms race where anglers stare at a screen, targeting pixels and losing their connection to the fish we love so much,” the league said in a statement.
B.A.S.S. took a different approach, creating equipment standards related to new technologies that will impact anglers.
First, the number of live sonar
At 3 years old, Eli Cosper caught his first fish on a fly rod while fishing with his dad, Simon, along the Guadalupe River. Photo from Simon Cosper.
Cat Eckert caught this oversized red while targeting trout over deep grass beds in the Laguna Madre. Photo by Capt. Jesse Torres
The use of forward-facing sonar in bass tournaments has been the subject of controversy. Photo by B.A.S.S.
Combining fishing, cleanup
By Tony Vindell For Lone Star outdoor newS
The Boca Chica Beach Legends put on the BCBL Leyendas Surf Fishing Tournament each year, a two-fold annual tournament and event held at the popular coastal location near the southern tip of Texas.
One goal is to get families together for the one-day surf-fishing tourney, while the other is to help clean the beach from which the organization takes its name.
People from as far as Dallas and Houston arrive a day or two earlier and camp out in tents and travel trailers, while others sleep in the cab of their pickup trucks and SUVs. Fishing began at 6 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The tournament is divided into two divisions: one for youngsters ages 6-12 and the other for adults.
The youngsters competed for the largest whiting, and prizes were given out to the first 10 places. Gael Romero took the number one spot with a 15-inch long whiting.
The other group fought for the biggest redfish and speckled trout, both within the legal Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations. They also were allowed to catch black drum.
Plenty of speckled trout were brought to the shore, but most were longer than the 20-inch regulation and didn’t qualify for a prize. To the surprise of the 700-plus anglers, only one redfish was entered. Omar Salgado, of Brownsville, brought in the red, which landed him the $2,000 top prize.
For the many family members who participated in the tournament, getting together overcame the slower day of fishing.
Hector Sanchez said they have been coming from the Houston area for a number of years.
“We have a group of about 25 people this time,” he said.
The tournament was scheduled to be held in July but was rescheduled to a month later due to Hurricane Beryl.
Charles Guillen, the tournament director, also said changing the date kept some away from the event.
“We have people coming from all over the state,” he said. “But whenever you make a change
Heading offshore in a group
By Cory Byrnes For Lone Star outdoor newS
Travis Cole and John Ad ams joined a group from Houston’s Second Baptist Church on a charter trip be fore the red snapper season closed in federal waters on Aug. 28.
“We went out about 50 miles to a spot called the ‘Ridge’ in a 52-foot Navy pa trol boat that had been con verted,” Adams said.
The group spent a few hours trolling for king mackerel.
“Rex Brown caught the largest king of the day,” Cole said. “We ended up being just shy of a limit before we moved on to go after snapper.”
The snapper fishing was a fast-and-furious affair.
“All 12 of us limited out on snapper in 20-30 minutes tops,” Adams said. “The captain and mate had the rods rigged with a double drop and a large lead weight at the bottom. It seems that the management has improved the fishing for red snapper. From there they made another move further out to a nearby shrimp boat.
“We free-lined baits off the stern hoping for tuna, while the captain moved around the shrimp boat,” Adams said. “A lot of us got sharked — we probably should have had some steel leaders tied on.”
Cole hooked into a big shark before breaking off during one of its powerful runs.
Omar Salgado brought in the winning redfish at the Boca Chica Leyendas Surf Fishing Tournament. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Fishermen deep-drop for red snapper on a charter offshore trip. Photo from Travis Cole.
TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT
ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 85 degrees; 2.30’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.
AMISTAD: Water stained; 91 degrees; 68.42’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on weightless senkos, wacky rigs, weightless flukes and suspending jerkbaits. White bass are fair on jigging spoons and Alabama rigs. Stripers are slow.
ARLINGTON: Water stained; 88 degrees; 5.79’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait under a bobber.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 5.52’ low. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
ATHENS: Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.18’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and artificial worms. Crappie are slow.
AUSTIN: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.69’ low. Largemouth bass are good on large creature baits and big worms.
B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines.
BASTROP: Water stained; 90 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, Carolina-rigged finesse worms and small creature baits.
BELTON: Water stained; 89 degrees; 0.65’ low. White bass are fair on pet spoons and slabs. Catfish are good on live perch and punch bait.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 2.80’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are good on live minnows. White bass are fair on spinner baits. Catfish are good on stink bait.
BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 93 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, drop shots and Texas rigs. White bass are good on spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on stink bait and cut bait.
BOIS D’ARC: Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.64’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigs, drop shots, Texas rigs and football jigs.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 97 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow. Redfish are fair on shrimp and spoons. Catfish are fair on cheese bait.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 89 degrees; 3.96’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads and crankbaits. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
BUCHANAN: Water stained; 88 degrees; 12.11’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on live bait and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad and punch bait.
CADDO: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.06’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, drop shots and shaky heads.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained; 92 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow. Redfish are fair on live bait, spoons and soft plastics. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.
CANYON: Water stained; 85 degrees; 24.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on drop-shot rigs.
CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 90 degrees; 1.32’ low. Hybrids and white bass are good on spinners and slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut drum, gizzard shad and carp.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 86 degrees; 30.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastic worms and flukes. Crappie are fair on minnows black grubs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
CONROE: Water stained; 94 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs. Hybrids and white bass are fair on live shad, large minnows and pet spoons. Catfish are good on punch bait.
COOPER: Water stained; 83 degrees: 2.00’ low. Hybrids and sand bass are good on spoons and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 86 degrees; 4.41’ low. White bass are good on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
FALCON: Water stained; 85 degrees; 47.66’ low. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms and crankbaits. Crappie are slow.
Alligator gar are good on cut carp and tilapia. Catfish are fair on fresh cut bait and shrimp.
prepared baits.
FT PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 85 degrees; 8.06’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters. Hybrid stripers are fair on live bait. White bass are fair on crankbaits and live shad.
GRANBURY: Water stained; 90 degrees; 1.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on trolled Alabama rigs and live bait. White bass are fair on trolled baits and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.74’ high. Largemouth bass are good on worms and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on shad.
GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.25’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and jigs.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.15’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Sunfish are good on worms. Crappie are slow.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 85 degrees; 14.04’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on live bait and cut carp.
JACKSONVILLE: Water stained; 92 degrees; 0.13’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, swimbaits, finesse worms and weightless worms.
JOE POOL: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on large worms. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows.
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, jigs and wacky rigs.
FAYETTE: Water stained; 95 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow.
FORK: Water stained; 81 degrees; 1.17’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spook-type baits, chatter baits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on punch bait and
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.59’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on top-water plugs and swimbaits.
LBJ: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.36’ low. Crappie are good on jigs or minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.39’ low. Largemouth bass and spotted bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. White
bass are fair on slabs, jigs and live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striped bass and white bass are good on live bait and spoons. Catfish are fair on cut shad and punch bait.
LIMESTONE: Water lightly stained; 90 degrees; 1.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, finesse jigs and topwater frogs. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs.
LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 89 degrees; 0.26’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.
MARTIN CREEK: Water stained; 98 degrees; 0.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms and crankbaits.
MEREDITH: Water stained; 83 degrees; 47.62’ low. Largemouth bass are good on minnows and artificials. White bass are good on slabs. Walleye are good on minnows and grubs. Catfish are fair on crawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad.
NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.92’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are slow.
on shrimp.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, Carolina rigs and drop shots. Striped bass are fair on live bait. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad and stink bait.
PROCTOR: Water stained; 85 degrees; 4.12’ low. Catfish are slow.
RAVEN: Water stained; 83 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows and artificial grubs. Catfish are fair on worms.
RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.27’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; 0.23’ low. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and small jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees; 1.00’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jerk baits and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees. 0.47’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, spinner baits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait.
NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.13’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait and shad.
O H IVIE: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 32.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on creature baits. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on minnows and shad. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 18.57’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on large plastic worms with large shaky heads. Crappie are fair on live minnows and jigs.
PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 91 degrees; 0.36’ low. Hybrid stripers are fair on pet spoons. Catfish are fair
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.31’ low. White bass are slow. Hybrid stripers are fair on live shad. Catfish are good on shad and punch bait. SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.40’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on frogs, spinner baits and Carolina rigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.29’ high. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnow. Catfish are fair on cut shad and punch bait. White bass are fair on spoons, shad and ghost minnows.
SPENCE: Water stained; 85 degrees; 50.66’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are fair on slabs and spoons. Catfish are good on cut carp and shad.
STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.41’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged dark soft plastics.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.72’ low. Largemouth bass are good on frogs. Hybrid striper and white bass are fair on spinners and slabs. Catfish are good on punch baits and dip baits.
TEXANA: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
TEXOMA: Water stained;
n Saltwater reports Page 22
75 degrees; 0.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, jerkbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on top-waters, slabs and live bait. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on punch bait.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 92 degrees; 3.60’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are slow.
TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 89 degrees; 40.24’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, shaky heads and Texas-rigged soft plastics.
TWIN BUTTES: Water stained. 88 degrees; 39.49’ low. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cheese bait and nightcrawlers.
TYLER: Water stained; 91 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are slow.
WACO: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.19’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs. White bass are excellent on small slabs, small crankbaits, small swimbaits and small spoons. Hybrids are fair on swimbaits and spoons. Catfish are good on cut bait and live shad.
WALTER E LONG: Water stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on frogs, senkos, top-waters and soft plastics. Hybrids are slow.
WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.51’ low. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
WORTH: Water stained; 86 degrees; 2.69’ low. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
BIG HAUL OF SMALL SNAPPER
Texas game wardens patrolling the mouth of the Brazos River encountered a boat full of recreational anglers. When the wardens approached the boat, the anglers’ boat turned away. Once they made contact, the wardens met five anglers on board but only three of them possessed current fishing licenses. Wardens then investigated the anglers’ haul and counted 51 red snapper over the current bag limit including 42 undersized snapper. Wardens seized the snapper and issued 50 citations to the group with restitution.
BOAT THEFTS ON THE RISE
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, boat theft is a widespread problem in Texas, with 354 boats stolen last year. Texas has the third-highest number of stolen boats and gear in the country, behind Florida and California. Capt. Jennifer Weaver of TPWD said the agency is primarily seeing thefts of smaller boats, jet skis and any type of boat under 30 feet.
DEPUTIES RESCUE FAMILY SWEPT OFF ROAD, CLINGING TO TREE
San Angelo area first responders made contact with members of a family who were swept away
GAME WARDEN BLOTTER
DROWNING ON LEWISVILLE
Search crews found the body of a man who drowned in Lewisville Lake on Sunday, Sept. 1. The 23-year-old victim was on a rental boat in the southeast area of the lake when he jumped into the lake to swim and never resurfaced. The man was not wearing a life jacket. The Lewisville Fire Department Dive Team and game wardens were called to search for the man. The crew called off the search on Sunday night and Monday morning due to inclement weather. Game wardens returned to the lake Monday afternoon and located the man’s body using sonar equipment.
by flood waters. The Texas Game Warden Drone Team was utilized to assist rescue efforts. Five individuals were rescued, including a 3-year-old child, after rising waters pushed the group’s vehicle off the roadway and into a tree aboat 150 yards off the road. Three men, one female and the child were clinging to the tree.
BOATING ACCIDENTS RISE OVER LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
Game wardens patrolling water bodies across the state reported a
decline in water-related fatalities but an increase in boating accidents compared to last year’s Labor Day holiday weekend. Wardens patrolling Aug. 31Sept. 2 reported nine boating accidents — several of which involved personal watercrafts — one boating-related fatality and one open-water drowning. They also arrested five individuals for boating while intoxicated and one minor for boating under the influence. During the same weekend in 2023, wardens responded to five
boating accidents, two boating-related fatalities and two open-water drownings. In 2022, wardens responded to three boating accidents, no boating-related fatalities and one open-water drowning. The boating-related fatality occurred at Amistad Reservoir, where a fatality also occurred over Labor Day weekend in 2023. The open-water drowning occurred at Lewisville Lake.
TROTLINER FALLS FROM BOAT, DROWNS Law enforcement officers recovered the body of an 86-year-old Rocksprings man who apparently drowned in Lake Amistad after falling from his boat. According to Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, the man was on Lake Amistad in a boat with his wife, checking a trotline. Somehow, he fell into the water while checking the trotline and apparently drowned. Another fisherman who was in the area brought Herschap’s wife back to shore, then led game wardens and sheriff’s office investigators back to the man’s boat. Using the depth finder on his boat, the boater was able to locate the man’s body. A game warden drove the man’s wife back to the couple’s home.
HYPERFORMANCE HUNT
Fiocchi’s newest addition to the Hyperformance Hunt lineup - Handgun Hunting and Wilderness Defense ammunition utilizing the venerable Barnes XPB, all copper hollow point. This hard-hitting projectile features exceptional weight retention, controlled expansion, and deep penetration. Ammunition that is built for the conditions and demands of the modern hunter!
Ellis Ricci, 11, was fishing at a lake near Fort Worth and caught this awesome trout. Ellis outfished his dad and two older brothers.
While hunting in Greenland, Don Weempe and friend, Cary Stone, both took nice muskox.
After cleaning up the family’s Lake Livingston lake house, John David Krebs and his brother, Billy, went gar fishing.
Sean Bates of Boerne, caught this 31-inch black drum on the annual Quality Fence and Welding fishing trip in Port Aransas.
During a midday fishing trip to the Texas City Dike, Gregory Smith landed this 33 1/2-inch black drum.
Bass moving in
Continued from page 1
slow-rolled over the top of the grass have been working well.”
Flipping and punching grass mats with Texas-rigged soft plastics in 10-13 feet of water also is producing fish, the guide said.
“We are catching a lot of bass in the 3- to 4-pound range,” Coleman said. “The recent drop in water temperature has really started to push some fish shal lower and made them more aggressive.”
On Sam Rayburn Res ervoir, Chad Marler said cooler temperatures and changing weather has kept the bass on the move.
“The fish have been setting up differently each day, but it seems that drains in 13 to 19 feet of water are hold ing the most consistent action, as far as offshore fish are concerned,” Marler said. “We are ex periencing a precursor to fall, and the bass are really starting to feed heavily on baitfish, so moving baits like crankbaits and swimbaits are working well in deeper water. Drop-shot rigs and Carolina rigs are also producing plenty of fish.”
ing some time on Lake Athens, where he said the recent cooler temperatures have the bass schooled up.
“Schools of bass are blowing up on the surface in open water across the lake, and the top-water action has been excellent,” Rickman said. “There hasn’t been really any rhyme or reason to these schools, they’ve just been popping up along the surface in random places.”
The schooling action has actually been the best during the midday hours, with most of the schooling fish being from 2-5 pounds. Working the edges of grass lines in 1214 feet of water with a large, Texas-rigged worm has been producing some larger bass up to 7 pounds.
“When I’m targeting the grass lines, I’m keying in on differences in the grass,” Rickman said.
“That may be a difference in the thickness of the grass or a change in depth along the grass line.”
There are good numbers of fish up shallow and eating frogs, right against the bank in areas where hay grass is close to deep water.
“The bass are moving shallower, but they are still relating to deep water,” Marler said. “The biggest bites are coming from areas where the fish can trade back and forth from shallow to deep water effortlessly.”
Marler said his anglers are catching a lot of 4-5 pound fish, with plenty of smaller bass mixed in.
Guide Andrew Rickman has been spend-
On J.B. Thomas Reservoir, guide Tristan Marsh has been chasing large bass using forward facing sonar in a variety of depths from 4-20 feet of water over various structure. Large plastic worms, swimbaits and jigs have all been working well.
“The lake is full of bait right now, and the bass have really just been roaming,” Marsh said. “Stretches with trees and rock points have been good, but so have stretches of open water.”
Marsh and his anglers have been focusing on targeting large fish. They’ve been catching fish in the 6- to 11-pound range.
Tripp Payne, left, shows a 10.17-pound bass he caught while fishing with his dad, Heath, on J.B. Thomas Reservoir. Photo by Tristan Marsh.
TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES
Freeport
Nueces
Trotline with a sail
of sail line fishing.
This unusual passion has been rooted in him since his early 20s when he was apprenticed in the craft by his 72-year-old fishing buddy, Ramiro, a local pioneer of the sail line technique at the time.
Olivo chuckled as he realized how long he’d been in the game; “I can’t believe it myself,” Olivo said while rigging his line with fresh-cut mullet. “I was 24 when [Ramiro] got me into it. Ramiro was the one that started the whole sail line thing, as far as I know. He made me a sail line rig, and then I started making them.”
This craft later proved to be quite a profitable trade for Olivo, as the popularity of sail line fishing grew in the Corpus Christi area. For his current setup, Olivo repurposed the windshield wiper motor from a 1973 Ford. Junkyards are an important supplier in his production process and help him retain a profitable margin. A handheld power drill motor, an on/off switch, and some soldering complete the electric component of the spool. He mounts the spool on a piece of 3/4-inch conduit pipe. The spool is equipped with a simple bolt-and-spring tension component, which allows him to adjust the drag and the speed at which the sail pulls the line out.
Between the spool system, the trotline, and the sail, he spends an estimated 25 hours building a full sail line rig. Olivo’s cost of production varies.
“A few of the components alone cost me $100 each,” he said.
He sells his finished product for $700750.
When it comes down to technique for sail lining, Olivo’s model is straightforward.
“I leave it in one spot for 15 to 20 minutes, then reel it in a few feet and repeat.
You’ll see a float pull to the side if you have a fish,” he said. “When the front end of the line drops down into the water, there’s usually about two or three fish on.”
From there, he engages the spool motor and anticipates the haul. Binoculars are a must-have, since he lets out up to 500 yards of line.
According to Olivo, one can’t just pick up and go sail lining. His trips are contingent on two criteria: boats and wind. He avoids any area he knows to be frequented by boaters, and of course, an opposing wind trumps any reason to try sailing a line.
Olivo has narrowed his options down to one reliable spot where the southeast wind, which prevails most days in the Coastal Bend, swiftly carries his sail northwest across a shallow flat void of boat activity.
His spot perfectly fit the bill for sail lining success, but as always, the proof is on the stringer.
“I’ve caught 26-inch specks and 37-inch black drum,” Olivo said.
Olivo’s long-time fishing “compadre” and sail lining convert, Raul Flores, chimed in with his account of a costly school of oversized reds.
“I had to hold on to my truck. They were dragging me in,” Flores said. “It was 100-pound test line, but they bit through it and took my sail and 12 hooks.”
Olivo’s passion for the unique fishing method and favorite fishing spot was clear.
“I told my wife to cremate me and bring my ashes here when I die,” he said. “And after I retire this year, I’m going to be here every day.”
LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER
Solution on Page 30
ACROSS
2) A mallard favorite
6) Cottle County’s seat
7) The big bass
8) Hunting boot brand
10) Turkey call type
12) Bass boat brand
13) Duck-hunting province
16) Group of minnows
17) North Texas lake, Ray ____
18) Granbury’s county
19) Shot size used by teal hunters
21) Rifle brand
23) Central Texas river
25) Hallettsville’s county
28) Offshore target
29) Border lake
32) A planting for the deer (two words)
34) Muleshoe’s county
36) An African antelope
37) East Texas lake
39) Tree-eating furbearer
41) Trout species
42) For cats, the stronger the better
43) An African pigeon
44) One of the dove in Africa
45) Shotgun targets
DOWN
1) Safari destination
3) A Great Lake
4) Good redfish bait
5) Presidio County’s seat 9) Good white bass lure
11) Prime area to target crappie
14) Binocular brand
15) Shotshell brand
18) Ammo brand
20) Group of leopards
22) Central Texas lake
24) Group of hippos
26) Treestand alternative
27) Duck often mixed in with teal
29) Another name for the mountain lion
30) Duck hunters’ org.
31) The small, low-flying dove
33) Lockhart’s county
35) Worm rigging style
38) Salmon species
39) One of the cats
40) Fisher County’s seat
15 whole dove breasts, filleted
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
16 ozs. mushrooms
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
For gravy:
6 tbsps. butter or bacon drippings
6 tbsps. all-purpose flour
Broth from Dutch oven
1–1 1/2cups half-n-half
Brunswick retools executive structure
Aine Denari was named executive vice president and president of Navico Group, and Brenna Preisser was named executive vice president and president of Brunswick Boat Group.
Agency for Taylor’s
Taylor’s & Company retained Mountain States Sports Marketing as its sales agency for the western states.
Ramos named director of sales
Armament Systems and Procedures hired Rene Ramos as the new director of sales for the southeast U.S.
Tipps named marketing director
C&H Precision named Travis Tipps as the company’s new marketing director.
Marketing manager at ZeroTech
Mack Winzenburg was named the new marketing manager for ZeroTech Optics USA.
New head at SAR Firearms
Tony Pignato was appointed the chief executive officer of SAR Firearms.
G3 Boats hires Seti
Bryan Seti was named national sales and marketing manager for G3 Boats.
TriStar sales manager
Mathew Rogers was promoted to national sales manager for TriStar Arms.
New CEO at Huk
Marolina Outdoor, the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing and Nomad Outdoor, named Nate Smith as chief executive officer.
Wet whitewings
Continued from page 5
wet and muddy fields due to previous menacing rains.
Friday, Sept. 13, is the last day for the end of this year’s Special White-winged Dove Season. However, the next day, the South Zone season opens, allowing hunters to take a full limit of mourning dove if the whitewings aren’t cooperating.
*email LSON your favorite recipe to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.
Dutch oven dove
Pre heat oven to 200 degrees. Place dove breasts evenly on bottom of Dutch oven. Add vegetables, seasoning, herbs, fat and water on top. Heat for 7 minutes on the stovetop using medium-high heat. Place Dutch oven on middle rack of pre-heated oven and cook for 5 hours or until dove are tender enough to be cut with a fork. Remove the dove breasts and cover with foil. Discard the bay leaf. Carefully drain the broth into a medium bowl. Add enough half-n-half to the broth to make 3 cups total liquid. Melt the fat in skillet on medium heat and slowly add the flour into it. Stir and mash the
Fried shrimp dumplings
mixture around until you have a roux, or smooth paste, and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring constantly. Heat until the mixture is a medium to dark caramel color. Remove the roux from the heat and add the broth and milk mixture, then stir well. Return to medium-high heat and stir until the mixture reaches desired thickness. Remove from heat and add the vegetables to the gravy. Serve the mushroom gravy over pasta, and top each portion with dove pieces.
—New Mexico Fish & Game
1/2 lb. shrimp, minced
1 tbs Tony’s Seafood Marinade
1 egg
Dumpling wrappers
1 cup cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning
1 tsp. corn starch
3 tbsps. water
Oil for frying Thai chili sauce
In a large bowl, combine shrimp, egg, cabbage, green onion, garlic,
ginger paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, Tony’s creole seasoning and Tony’s seafood marinade. Mix together and set aside. Heat oil to 330 degrees. Lay out the dumpling wrappers in the dumpling press and fill with about 1-2 tsps. of the filling. In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water. Mix together to create a slurry. Rub the slurry along the entire edge of the wrapper. Fold the dumpling press and seal the dumpling. Fry the dumplings in batches, make sure not to overcrowd, for about 2-3 minutes. Place on a cooling rack. Serve with Thai chili sauce.
—tonychachere.com
Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
New dove year
Continued from page 1
same spot on opening morning, but for whatever reason it was slow this year. We had to hunt late into the morning to harvest 23 birds between four hunters. The birds we did bag were an even mix of mourning dove and whitewings.”
Schuster said her husband went out again that evening and polished off his limit; however, most hunters in the same field were not as lucky.
“On Labor Day, Cameron and I made an afternoon hunt in a native sunflower field in Cibolo with Lonestar Premier Outdoors, and we both shot our limits in about an hour,” Schuster said. “These were all whitewings.”
Aubrie Youngblood spent the first three days of the Central Zone dove season hunting birds in the Sealy area with some friends over pastures along a natural flyway where the dove regularly travel through.
“We had about 10 hunters in our group for each hunt,” Youngblood said. “Everybody harvested their limits on opening day. The next day was a little slower, with only about half of our group bagging full limits. On the third morning, we seemed to have more birds, and everyone limited out.”
Youngblood and her friends were seeing and shooting almost all white-winged dove. In three days, they only harvested four mourning dove.
“The weather was pleasant, and it only sprinkled on us for a little bit opening morning,” she said. “If anything, the light shower just made the birds fly lower for us.”
Mike Bodenchuk spent opening day in the Hondo area. Prior to the opener, he said that there were a lot of birds in Hondo and the surrounding areas.
“Rains the week before the season opened sent some of the birds packing,” he said. “Despite the unwanted rains right before opening day, hunters turned out in big numbers around Hondo, and most had good shoots. However, spotty thundershowers had some seeking shelter earlier than planned, as rain moved through the area during the afternoon.”
South of Highway 90 along the northern perimeter of the South Zone Special White-winged area, Bodenchuk said the whitewings were harder to come by.
“Corn had already been harvested in this region, and a few birds were trading between harvested fields,” he said. “Fields planted with sunflowers and those that had strips of milo left standing also held birds.”
Wharton County wildlife biologist Clint Faas said most hunters in the El Campo area experienced slow hunts.
“Tropical activity earlier in the summer interfered with the timing of crop harvest in the region, and native vegetation from wet conditions kept the birds scattered,” Faas said. “I also think the cooler than normal weather may have pushed some birds out of the area, as there just wasn’t a tremendous amount of whitewings available for hunters when the season opened in El Campo.”
Getting excited for quail
Continued from page 4
Chip Ruthven oversees several WMAs in the Panhandle. “Matador Wildlife Management Area numbers are not too far off 2015 and 2016,” he said. “Gearing up for the third best year in the last 30 or so. The Gene Howe unfortunately has missed out on a lot of those rainfall events.”
Positive reports came from areas near the Texas coast. In Bee County, Marty Griffith rated the season as 8.5, and Clint Faas said he has seen birds in areas he hadn’t before in Matagorda County. Mike Peeter rated areas inland in Live Oak, Jim Wells and Duval counties as pretty good, and Dr. Eric Grahman provided average to above average predictions for Kenedy, Brooks, Dimmit, Maverick and Goliad counties.
In Jim Hogg County near Hebbronville, Rob Porter predicted another good season after good rain totals.
Blue quail
Some areas showed improvement, while other areas needing rains had a disappointing forecast. In Andrews County, Drew McEachern said the numbers were better than what the dry spring and summer would typically suggest, and Charlie Hill reported good numbers in Martin County. In Crane County, though, Gary Dunda said, “It’s bad. Very dry and no food.” Reports from Midland, Ector and Jeff Davis counties weren’t much better.
Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News
SABINE LAKE: 88 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp under a popping cork. Bull redfish are schooling on shad and shrimp.
BOLIVAR: 85 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish, croaker, sand trout and flounder are fair on live shrimp. Black drum are fair on shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: 88 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Black drum and redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 88 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp under a popping cork. Flounder are fair on live shrimp and live finger mullet.
GALVESTON BAY: 87 degrees. Speckled trout, sheepshead and black drum are good on live shrimp. Redfish are fair on live mullet.
WEST GALVESTON: 90 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live croaker and live shrimp.
TEXAS CITY: 87 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp. Bull redfish are fair on cut shad and cut mullet.
FREEPORT: 89 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish and flounder are good on live shrimp, live croaker and soft plastics. Black drum, redfish, and mangrove snapper are good on free-lined live shrimp.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 90 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 90 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics.
PORT O’CONNOR: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live croaker. Redfish are good on live crab and Spanish sardines.
Oversized black drum are fair on live crab and dead shrimp.
SAN ANTONIO BAY: 88 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp and croaker.
ROCKPORT: 84 degrees. Speckled trout are good on croaker and live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish are good on cut bait. Black drum are good on live or dead shrimp and fish bites.
REDFISH BAY: 86 degrees. Speckled trout are good on piggy perch and fair on croaker. Redfish are good on cut mullet and live finger mullet. Black drum are good on free-lined dead shrimp.
PORT ARANSAS: 84 degrees. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut bait. Pompano are fair on spoons. Speckled trout are good on croaker and shrimp. Black drum are good on shrimp.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 81 degrees. Black drum are good on free-lined dead shrimp. Speckled trout are good on piggy perch and croaker. Redfish are good on cut mullet and live finger mullet.
BAFFIN BAY: 90 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live croaker, soft plastics and
top-waters. Redfish are fair on cut bait, live shrimp and shrimp-imitation lures rigged under a cork.
PORT MANSFIELD: 90 degrees. Redfish are good on spoons and top-waters while schooling on the flats. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and top-waters. Flounder are good on soft plastics.
SOUTH PADRE: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp.
ARKANSAS
Hunting incidents low, no fatalities
Hunters throughout the 2023-24 hunting seasons reported 19 incidents and, for the first time since 2018, no fatalities.
Only two hunting incidents involved a firearm.
Arkansas did see a small increase in hunting incidents requiring hospitalization. The number one cause of hunting incidents involving a visit to the hospital was falling from a treestand (14 of the 19 incidents).
Two hunting incidents were recorded from hunting saddle users.
—AGFC
INDIANA
Warden saves woman from house fire
An Indiana Conservation Officer is being credited with saving a life after helping rescue a woman from a house fire.
On Aug. 26 at 12:20 p.m., Kendrick Fuhrman was on patrol when he responded to a call of a house fire in the town of Shoals. One of the first to arrive, he was told by bystanders that people were still inside the home.
Fuhrman entered the burning home and located a male and a female occupant. The female needed help getting out of the home, and Fuhrman and the male assisted her as all exited before flames engulfed the house.
—IDNR
UTAH
Permit required to sell sheds
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is reminding the public of some new requirements for anyone who plans to commercially buy and then sell shed antlers in Utah.
for commercial antler buyers.
This new rule does not apply to shed hunters who pick up shed antlers off the ground and then sell them to an antler buyer. There are still no license or permit fees for anyone who shed hunts in Utah, unless they plan to commercially buy and resell the antlers.
MISSOURI Record grass carp
Frank Reynolds was bowfishing at a private pond Aug. 12 when he shot a 74-pound, 2-ounce carp. The previous record for grass carp under alternative methods was a 71-pound, 4-ounce carp caught from Lake Showme in 1999.
“I’ve been trying to get this thing for years now,” Reynolds said. “We had four of these fish stocked in 2002 so I’ve been on the hunt for this one for a while, but it’s just been so skittish. It’s hard to get close enough without him getting away or going underwater.”
When he landed the fish, weighing it was another concern.
Reynolds had a friend who brought over a 300-pound scale. It was after weighing it they considered they may have a state record.
MARYLAND
First state-record yellowedge grouper
Jian Feng Li, of Silver Spring, caught a 38 pound yellowedge grouper on Aug. 27. On a charter boat, he was deep-dropping with false albacore strips for bait and was using a handcranked conventional reel.
The Utah Wildlife Board approved a new law designating that legally obtained shed antlers and horns may be purchased or sold at any time in a whole or altered state. However, a certificate of registration is required
On the boat, four anglers hooked up with big fish, and three broke off. Li was the only angler to bring his fish to the surface. The yellowedge grouper commonly ranges from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. With the recent popularity of deep-dropping, anglers have reported catching them in the canyons off New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.
Li’s catch is the first state record for this species.
Record-setting auction
Continued from page 4
generations hunting traditions and passing that legacy on,” Kolander said, “Our mission is similar as we make videos, take photos, and document these items to preserve this knowledge for generations to come.”
Kolander said buyers still have opportunities to browse and bid online if they can’t make it to the Texas auction house.
“We love for people to come in person and witness our new facility in Bedford that was created for the future of fine arms and sporting arms collecting,” Kolander said. “It is important to keep people involved.”
Since 1993, RIAC has established this and more by specializing in the auctioning of antique and collector firearms and militaria, drawing clientele from dozens of countries.
“Since 2003, RIAC has been the number one firearms auction house in the world,” Kolander said. “We are not only known for offering rare world-class elite firearms, but also firearms designed for your deer stand.”
16th Annual Lonestar Ducks Unlimited Sportsmans Banquet 16th Annual Lonestar Ducks Unlimited Sportsmans
Finding the bite
Continued from page 8
our bays right now, but once you stumble upon them, they are usually feeding aggressively,”
Hanna said. “I like to cover the flats, searching for them by making long casts with a top-water lure.”
Hanna said the top-water bite has been pretty good when he’s been able to locate the schools.
“Most of the fish have been in the upper slot range, with some oversized reds mixed in,” Hanna said. “We’ve also been catching some decentsized trout on top-water lures. The trout haven’t been thick, but when you catch one among a school of redfish, it’s usually a large one.”
In Rockport, Capt. Matthew Valadez said high tides have stacked up black drum along the edges of oyster shell reefs along the north shoreline of Copano Bay near the mouth of Mission Bay.
Shrimp under a popping cork has been producing the best action.
“Most of the black drum we are catching have been in the 14-to 21-inch range, with a few larger fish mixed in,” Valadez said. “There also have been some redfish feeding alongside these drum, but most of them are on the small side.”
Valadez also has been catching good numbers of trout in the surf when the water is calm and clean. The best bite has been on live croaker.
Tech and fishing
Continued from page 8
transducers will be regulated to one and it must be mounted to the trolling motor at the bow of the boat. Until now, competitors could have an unlimited number of live transducers mounted on their boats in any location.
Secondly, Elite Series and Classic competitors will be limited to a total of 55 inches of screen, including bow and dash head units. The trend to add more and bigger head units to boats is becoming a safety concern, B.A.S.S. said.
Smaller grassroot tournaments may be next to respond. Most involve boaters and nonboaters competing separately, and nonboaters have complained the fishing method, sometimes called “front-ending” often leaves them with nowhere to fish, as a boater fishing from the bow of the boat, targeting a single fish in an area with no other structure, leaves the nonboater with little hope of casting a lure near a fish.
John Crews, a Bassmaster Elite Series angler and the founder of Missile Baits, told Fishing Tackle Retailer there’s been a shift in the hardcore anglers to using more products that are designed around and used with forward facing sonar such as spinning rods, lighter line, jighead minnows and drop shots.
“The more traditional, popular flipping bait sales are probably down 20-30 percent, but drop shot baits might be up 10 percent,” he said.
High tides have caused black drum to stack up along oyster shell reefs in the upper reaches of Copano Bay. Photo by Capt. Matthew Valadez.
PERFORMANCE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED
BLANCO COUNTY WILD GAME DINNER
Benefiting the Blanco County Youth Livestock show exhibitors
Saturday, October 5, 2024
Gate opens at 4pm – Dinner service begins at 5:30pm Blanco County Fair Grounds – Show Barn * Johnson City Texas
Live Auction Featuring Fire Arms, Hunts and Trips
Over 50 Raffle Items Featuring 26 Fire Arms
Protecting Boca Chica beach
like this it can impact you.”
Regardless, Guillen said the tournament was a success. He said they received the support of scores of businesses throughout the area and pointed out the many items donated for prizes and raffles, including three kayaks.
In addition to that, hundreds of bags of trash were collected and brought in by people who were rewarded with a raffle ticket per container.
The number one trash picker received a $500 bonus for bringing in 45 bags.
Kingsville resident Andrew Butler has been bringing his family since the first BCBL tournament began 7 years ago. Two of their daughters, Jordan and Logan, ages 9 and 11, each caught their first snook during the event.
“We have always enjoyed coming to this tournament,” Butler said. “It’s a family-oriented kind of activity.”
Charter snapper
Adams said a charter boat trip is perfect for new offshore anglers.
“Consider larger boats,” he said. “There are more people but that helps bring the cost down. If you just want to get out there it’s a good start.”
Cole said listening to the boat captain and mate is key.
“They know their boat and the fishery,” he said. “You will be more successful if you listen to their experience.”
Red snapper season in state waters remains open year-round.
Public leases
means they need to be renewed every year. Some of the private landowners elect not to renew the lease in the spring of each year.
According to TPWD, there are four main reasons why a landowner may not want to renew a lease.
1. Competing land use. “People have to remember hunting isn’t the primary use of the land TPWD leases. It’s farmland,” Edmiston said. In some cases, the field might be in some sort of rotation, or the owner has plans for it during the hunting season. “Sometimes the landowner will come back to the program after a year or so,” Edmiston said.
2. Land is sold and fragmented. Ideally, TPWD wants to lease land between 100-400 acres for hunting. It gives room for hunters to spread out and work the birds.
3. TPWD can’t afford to lease it. Sometimes a better offer to lease the land will come in and price out TPWD.
4. Littering and Land Damage. “There are complaints of littering every year,” Edmiston said. “Although it’s not the most promi-
nent issue, it is in the top five.”
Hunters like Cayden Holland have heard this directly from the landowners on the public land he hunts.
“We want to keep these landowners happy so they keep leasing to TPWD,” Holland said. “We need to make sure the land isn’t trashed.”
TPWD has 1.3-1.4 million acres available for public hunting each year.
“The landowners understand TPWD’s mission and are supportive of it,” Edmiston said.
This year TPWD added 18,000 new acres to the public land hunting program for 2024.
It is a challenge for TPWD to find new land to lease for hunting each year. Local biologists do most of the legwork to find promising new properties to lease.
“We are very appreciative of the landowners who lease, continue to lease, and who come back to lease to TPWD,” Edmiston said.
Team Houston waits for the results after the tournament and beach cleanup ended at Boca Chica Beach. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
SEPTEMBER 14-15
TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOWS
Kerrville Expo Hall (830) 285-0575
DATEBOOK
texasgunandknifeshows.com
SEPTEMBER 19
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Member Stories from the Field Ozona Bar and Grill (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Ricebelt Dinner
El Campo Civic Center (979) 578-1470 ducks.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Paris Banquet Elks Lodge (903) 782-2172 ducks.org
SEPTEMBER 21
MULE DEER FOUNDATION
Odessa/Permian Basin Banquet
Odessa Country Club (432) 290-4563 muledeer.org
MERCY CLINIC OF FORT WORTH
Shoot for Mercy Clay Tournament Defender Outdoors (817) 840-3501 mercyclinicfriends.org
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Hunter Ed Course
DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
SEPTEMBER 26
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Houston Legacy Gala Lakeside Country Club (713) 471-8854 ducks.org
OCTOBER 1
DELTA WATERFOWL
Smith County Banquet
Buck Wild-Cowboys (903) 944-7830 deltawaterfowl.org
OCTOBER 2
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS FOUNDATION
Wild Game Night
Beretta Gallery Dallas (214) 361-2276 lsonews.com/lson-foundation
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Evening of Conservation Republic Boot Company, Houston setxducks.org
OCTOBER 3
DUCKS UNLIMITED
San Antonio Banquet Security Service Event Center ducks.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Lonestar Chapter Banquet
John L. Kuykendall Event Center, Llano (512) 756-3655 lonestardu.org
OCTOBER 5
DUVAL COUNTY
South Texas Dove Hunting 200 acres, Lodging (RV Power Available) Huntershilton.com For more info (361) 244-0544 or (361) 443-9330
MOBILE SPORTING CLAYS FOR HIRE! Fundraisers, Corporate, Parties! Sales/Service all Traps! 40+ Years Experience! (817) 999-1395
WHITETAIL DEER MANAGEMENT HUNT SPECIAL 3
BLANCO COUNTY WILD GAME DINNER
Blanco County Show Barn, Johnson City (830) 833-4138 facebook.com/wildgamedinner
Akaushi
TEXAS ARCHERY CLUB Network of Archery Ranges For One Membership! TEXASARCHERY.INFO
Discount (214) 677-6551 SOUTHWEST RANCH SALES 463+/-
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Lamivent
Even after you upgrade to a new HK VP9, with its best-in-class trigger pull and ergonomic, customizable grip, you’re not quite done yet. You still need a couple of important accessories. And we’re not talking about holsters, lights and optics either. Training and Practice – They are two different things and we all need more of both. Look into it … and go do the work!
