Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas
September 22, 2017
Volume 14, Issue 3
Dove both fickle and reliable
Red drum seem to be biting all along the coast. Ana King caught this red near South Padre. Photo from Ana King.
Redfish action galore Lone Star Outdoor News Fall is the favorite time of year to pursue redfish of all sizes, and Hurricane Harvey and the fresh water it brought to the bays hasn’t appeared to do much to change the red drum bite. Whether fishing for bull reds in Galveston, Freeport or from the sand on Crystal Beach, drifting near Aransas Pass, or wading the shallow grass flats of Baffin Bay or Port Mansfield for keeper-sized fish, the reds are there. Anglers are having success using popping corks, plastics, topwaters and cut mullet. See a report on page 8 from South Padre Island, where different techniques are used in a variety of situations to land goodsized redfish, along with three spots to try, especially if you don’t have a boat.
While the white-winged dove are plentiful in some areas south of San Antonio, other areas saw a void in birds after opening weekend. The South Zone opens Sept. 22. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News Dove season can be unpredictable, even when there isn’t a hurricane and flooding, followed by a cold front. The Sabinal area didn’t have
the flooding, but the cold front did arrive. Donny Bell with D&D Outfitters said his season is going well, but hasn’t been without concern. “We didn’t get the rain but we did get the 30-mile-per-hour north wind,” he said. “Before
opening day, we had few birds. I called the 40 or so customers we had lined up and told them, but they still wanted to come. Then, the Thursday before the opener, the birds were there.” The hunt turned out well for the white-winged dove, but the
success only lasted a few days. “By the next Monday, it was pretty slow,” Bell said. “Then we had a second wave come in after the cold front — you can tell the new birds, they will fly right down the middle of the field.” The dove in Sabinal were all Please turn to page 14
By Craig Nyhus
For Miranda Green, her first teal hunt of the season couldn’t have been better. “The teal started flying and they didn’t stop,” she said. “We had three limits in about 40 minutes.” Green hunted with her
fiancé, Devin Cryer, who guides for Pipkin Ranch Outfitters, and her best friend, J. Storme Jannise. “We hunt in Chambers and Jefferson counties,” Green said. “The fields are flooded pastureland and we also hunt over harvested rice fields. The first weekend hunts were canceled because they weren’t
sure about the water levels.” The water they hunted was still about 2 feet deep. “We were worried the hurricane would have a negative effect on the number of birds down, but we think the full moon and the cool front afterward saved us,” Green said. Similar to most teal seasons, Please turn to page 19
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
Lone Star Outdoor News
The early teal season ends Sept. 24, and hunters in flooded rice fields have been successful. Abby holds a teal taken in flooded pasture land. Photo from Miranda Green.
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10
HUNTING
FISHING
Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12
Big gators taken (P. 4)
A fresh Sabine (P. 8)
Flooding helps hunter success.
Fishing good despite water influx.
Gun stores back (P. 4)
Changing bass patterns (P. 8)
Open again after Harvey.
Top-water bite at Toledo.
Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 18 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 23 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 30
INSIDE
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210
Teal good for some, spotty for others