Lone Star Outdoor News 102723

Page 1

October 27, 2023

Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004

Volume 20, Issue 5

High tides keeping trout scattered By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Fall has greeted coastal anglers with elevated tides, keeping speckled trout scattered across numerous areas and hot spots. Those fishermen able to cover water and hone in on specific areas holding concentrations of fish have been catching

specks of all sizes on a variety of presentations. Lower West Galveston Bay guide Capt. Colin Peterson has been focusing his efforts for speckled trout in Christmas, Chocolate, and Bastrop bays. Higher tides have kept the fish spread out, as he’s been encountering water depths that are 1-2 feet deeper than normal.

“Stretches with mud and shell bottoms have been holding more specks than areas with sandy bottoms,” Peterson said. “I’ve been wading some flats that are typically only about knee deep that have waist deep water. Recent fronts have dropped water levels some, but they are still way above normal.”

Suspending twitch baits, topwater lures and mullet-imitation plugs have been drawing strikes from some larger trout in the 3-4 pound range. Also, drifting areas in 2-5 feet with live shrimp under a popping cork has kept the guide’s anglers hooked up with specks. “There are a lot of little trout biting,” he said. “You can catch Please turn to page 20

Riley Freese landed this trout at the mouth of a marsh drain when water levels dropped slightly. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Hunting the eclipse By Lane Moczygemba For Lone Star Outdoor News

When the skies darkened in the late morning hours of Oct. 14, people across Texas turned their faces to the sun, while wearing appropriate eye protection, to catch a glimpse of the ongoing annular solar eclipse. But some Texans had other things on their minds, like the pursuit of a mature axis buck in the case of a group of hunters guided by Marshall McFadden on the Sleepy B Ranch, near Mullin. The weekend started out like any other for McFadden. Rush out to the ranch to guide and entertain clients, try to get them up and into the blinds early Saturday morning, then hang out The annular eclipse on Oct. 14 resulted in some unusual animal activity. at the lodge for late morning coffee. Left photo by Lane Moczygemba, for Lone Star Outdoor News. Above, Mallory Powell took this axis in mid-day after the animals were moving Around 11:45 a.m. one of the hunters during the eclipse. Photo by Marshall McFadden. noticed it was darker than normal outside. This is when the group remembered the eclipse happening that morning, and it’s also when McFadden figured a midday hunt might be in the cards. “The deer were definitely up on their feet,” McFadden said when asked if he noticed any abnormal Please turn to page 6

By Tony Vindell

New rule proposals on spotted seatrout bags and size limits could be coming soon. At a series of public meetings along the Texas Gulf Coast, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials gathered input from anglers and those involved in the fishing industry regarding management of the popular fish.

Speckled trout have been at the center of coastal anglers’ concern since the 2021 freeze that killed thousands, if not millions, of fish in the Lower Laguna Madre and other areas up the coast. At stake is whether to leave the existing bag limit in place, to go back to an emergency measure that expired on Aug. 31, or a variation of regulations. Currently, the limit is five fish per day and a 15- to 25-inch slot limit, A light turnout in Port Isabel voiced their opinions in favor of a three-fish Please turn to page 21

CONTENTS

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Freshwater Fishing Report . . Page 10 Game Warden Blotter . . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . . Page 16 Saltwater Fishing Report . . . Page 20 Datebook . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . Page 26

INSIDE

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814

Debating the speckled trout limits

speckled trout limit. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

HUNTING

FISHING

Season’s over (P. 4)

Chasing the birds (P. 8)

Pronghorns down but hunters not out.

Reds, trout, birds following shrimp.

Ducks on the way (P. 5)

Smallmouth catch for big win (P. 8)

Hunters hope hurricane brings rains.

Texoma produces big smallie bags.


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