Lone Star Outdoor News 111122

Drifting for big specks, reds

By Robert Sloan For Lone Star outdoor newS

Trout on the Upper Laguna Madre are spawning, and while some catch 25- to 28-inch trout on top-water lures, soft plastics are leading the way to more and bigger fish.

Guide Joey Farah has been averag ing one or two big trout per fishing trip. Most are pre-spawn trout, with the big ones grouped up for the spawn.

“The water temperature is in the 68-

to 72-degree range,” said Farah. “That’s just about right for this time of year. With the cooler water, the fishing for big trout is just getting better. Some of the best fishing is on high tides. That’s when the trout will move up shallow and feed heavily on pin perch.”

The best structure has been rock piles and gravelly sand pockets with nearby grass. The pin perch move up and hold in the grass.

“That’s why the trout are there, too,” Farah said. “All of the rock piles are pret

ty much holding really good trout.”

While fishing with her dad on Farah’s boat, Rachel Ingram brought in a mon ster on a Down South dirty tequila soft plastic along the King Ranch shoreline.

Another good trout was landed by Far ah on a plastic in Victoria’s Tackle Secret color with a white tail.

“I’m rigging the tails on 1/4-ounce jig heads and fishing them in 4 to 5 feet of water,” Farah said.

The key to finding trout is to find the mullet and stay with them. Farah said

Deer hunters out in force

Seeing some movement, few fawns

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

The excitement of open ing day is a feeling of its own.

Even though archery and Managed Lands Deer Permit hunters have been out for a month, most Texas hunters mark November’s first week end on their calendars.

As usual, even though the hunting may not have been great for a majority of those in the field, others found success. An explosion of vegetation af ter heavy rains in late August and early September kept deer away from feeders, while areas receiving less rain were still suffering through drought conditions.

Some hunters found the deer moving, especially younger bucks chasing does, figuring something is up but not really sure what. Rut

Oyster closures final

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

Oyster season is officially closed in Carlos, Ayres and Mesquite bays after months of meetings, public meetings, ne gotiations and hearings.

At the Texas Parks and Wild life Commission meeting Nov. 2-3, more than 7 hours were spent on the proposals to close the three bays and also to tem porarily close restoration areas in San Antonio Bay and the

Trinity Bay, along with extend ing closures on the Dollar Reef in Galveston Bay.

The current oyster season began Nov. 1 with the few est numbers of areas open in memory.

Robin Reichers, the direc tor of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division, told the TPW Com mission the recommended clo sures were the result of unprec edented harvest activity.

The 2,100-acre areas histori

cally represent 2.8 percent of coastwide oyster habitat, and 9.6 percent of landings.

“The bays had 30 percent of the landings in 2022,” Reichers said. “In Mesquite Bay, there were low vessel numbers until 2015. It peaked at 140 vessels in 2022.”

Demand for Texas oysters is at an all-time high, Reichers said.

“The collapse in Chesapeake Bay and the severe decline in other Gulf states added

ting activity was reported in Bosque County, Hays County and Tom Green County.

Redchevy posted on the Texas Hunting Forum that he suspects there was some rut ting between San Antonio and Austin.

“Drove from San Antonio to Austin and back today — saw six roadkill deer all on 35 in New Braunfels. Five were young bucks.”

For Marley Harrison, 13, opening day became the day she harvested her first deer on her father’s lease in Callahan County.

“It took a couple of trips, but we got it done at the lease on opening morning,” her fa ther, Conor, said.

Marley was out during the youth weekend and Conor said the wind was perfect out of the north.

“We only saw a few spikes and some does,” he said. “She wanted to wait for something bigger.”

On opening morning, the

Oyster boats are congregating in fewer and smaller areas this season. Photo from TPWD.

While antler quality might be down in much of the state, plenty of great deer are still on the landscape as the general season begins. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Rachel Ingram caught this big speckled trout while fishing with her father and Joey Farah. Photo by Joey Farah.

Using drones to find, hunt hogs

HUNTING

Teal and mosquitoes plentiful in South Texas

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

On Nov. 3, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Com mission approved changes to the Aerial Wildlife Management Permit rules to allow the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles to locate feral hogs for the purpose of hunting.

Stormy King, assistant commander at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said current regulations prohibit the use of drones and UAVs to conduct any activity for take, including lo cating hogs.

“They can be useful to control feral hogs at night,” King said. “The change would allow the use to locate hogs for take by gunners on the ground.”

The regulation change would not apply to any other game or exotic species.

A total of 65 public comments were received, with 51 percent in favor and 37 percent op posed.

“The biggest concern was overflight (onto neighboring properties),” King said. “However, the permitted activity has to be reported.”

Also, no drone-mounted weapons are permit ted.

“They can only be used to locate,” King said. “They can’t be used to herd them.”

Commissioner Jeffrey Hildebrand pointed out, like when herding cattle, the noise from drones would herd hogs into an area where the hunters are waiting.

“It does have a herding effect,” he said.

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

Duck hunters in the South Zone were greeted with mild conditions on open ing weekend that, in many places, re sembled early teal season, mosquitoes and all. Many harvested full straps that looked like an extension of September’s teal season, as bluewings and green wings were abundant along our coastal marshes and prairies. Bigger ducks were in the mix in certain locales, and reports from the Texas-Louisiana border down to the Lower Laguna Madre told of de coying action for just about everyone.

Chase Spence hunted with a group of buddies near Winnie with Southern Wing Outfitters. His crew of eight hunt ers split up into two blinds along private marsh ponds and harvested limits of

mostly blue-winged teal.

“We did shoot at some greenwings along with a few pintail and a gadwall or two, but for the most part, the skies were full of swarming blue-wings,” Spence said. “The action was fast and furious, and there was rarely a moment when there wasn’t a group of ducks in the air.”

Guides Shane Chesson and Byron Fischer said Spence’s hunt was pretty much the norm for the opener.

“Our marsh ponds have been covered up with teal since early to mid-Septem ber, and the numbers just kept building all the way to opening weekend,” Ches son said. “We had six different groups in our private marsh on opening day, and everyone limited out. There were quite a few gadwall and some pintail around, but the majority of the ducks harvested

were teal.”

Fischer said rice prairie properties in the Winnie area produced good shoots as well.

Red Bluff Prairie Hunting Club’s Keith Blahuta said opening weekend on the Garwood prairie also afforded hunters with plenty of shot opportunities.

“The teal were in big bunches on opening morning, so some ponds had large swarms of teal, while others had more pintail, spoonies and gadwall,” Blahuta said. “After getting shot at, greenwings and bluewings began to break up and spread out. By the second day of opening weekend they became more evenly distributed.”

James Prince reported that duck hunt ers occupying blinds on the bay in the Port O’Connor area were greeted with a steady flow of divers and puddle ducks

Spring goose hunting on chopping block

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

The springtime Light Goose Con servation Order may have run its course.

Established in 1999 with a goal of reducing the numbers of adult geese to avoid damage to tundra ar eas where the geese spend the sum mer and nest, the Order allowed hunting without bag limits, the use of electronic calls and the use of un plugged shotguns.

Did it achieve its goal?

No, Texas Parks and Wildlife De partment’s Migratory Bird Program leader Shaun Oldenburger told the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commis sion on Nov. 2.

“It didn’t lower adult survival,” Oldenburger said.

The light goose population has declined, though, for other reasons.

“There was a crash in reproduc tion,” Oldenburger said. “Light geese have declined from 20 mil lion in 2006 to 10 million now.”

Hunters old enough to remem ber news reports of damage to the Arctic tundra recall reports of bar ren landscape in certain areas where snow geese returned each year. Fur ther studies suggest those reports were overblown when compared with the overall tundra that snow geese still use.

“They underestimated the carry ing capacity of the Arctic tundra,” Oldenburger said.

For Texas hunters, the hunt ing period allowed after the regu lar season ended wasn’t much of a draw, due to the decline in light

goose numbers in Texas and the fact that by the time the regular season ended, the geese had either left the state or were about to.

“Rice acres have gone from 600,000 acres to around 200,000,” Oldenburger said. “Light geese have gone from 1.2 million in 1978 to less than 200,000 now.”

Oldenburger told the Commis sion the department planned to propose eliminating the Conserva tion Order in Texas at the Commis sion’s January meeting.

“The Conservation Order failed,” he said.

Should the Commission allow the proposal to be placed in the Texas Register, the issue would be opened for public comment, and possibly public hearings.

Light geese may get a break next spring, as the Conservation Order period of hunting after the regular season ends may be discontinued in Texas. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Chase Spence shoots at a group of decoying teal in a private marsh near Winnie on opening weekend. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Drones can be used to locate feral hogs at night, but not to locate other animal species. Photo by Joseph Richards.

Two last-minute surveillance zones set

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

Some deer hunters were in for a surprise on opening weekend of the general deer season in Texas. Two new surveillance zones for chronic wasting disease were estab lished Nov. 4 by executive order — one day before the opener of the general rifle deer season.

The executive order was released Nov. 4, and the zone maps and check stations were placed on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website.

The zones were recommended after CWD-positive tests were found in two sepa rate deer breeding facilities in Gillespie County and in Limestone County.

The two areas are quite different for deer hunters. The Gillespie County area has high deer density, lots of hunters and a high deer harvest in the Hill Country land scape. In Limestone County, deer densities are very low, with some landowners go ing years without seeing a deer.

At the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting on Nov. 2, the proposed zones were described. The Gillespie County area will consist of 117,282 acres and extends into southern Mason County and the eastern edge of Kimble County. Check stations will be located in Harper and in Doss, along with drop-off points.

John Silovsky, TPWD’s Wildlife Division director, said the department expects to receive approximately 3,000 samples in the zone this season.

The Limestone County zone includes portions of southeastern Hill and western Navarro counties, and includes areas southeast of Hubbard and west of Mexia. A check station will be located in Coolidge.

“We don’t expect high number of samples from the zone,” Silovsky said.

Executive orders are limited to 120 days but can be extended for an additional 60 days.

Maps from TPWD

South Texas ducks

Continued from page 4

during opening weekend.

“The prairie between Port O’Connor and Port Lavaca also produced excellent hunts,” Prince said. “Hunt ers on the prairie seemed to see more teal compared to those hunting the bay.”

Stock ponds and cattle tanks west of Dilley were holding fair numbers of green-winged teal, bluewinged teal, shovelers and a few diver ducks for those who decided to chase ducks instead of deer.

Guide Abel Gorman said the ponds on the property in the Sealy area for open ing day were holding more big ducks than teal.

“We did shoot some teal, but I saw more big ducks than I’ve seen in a long time on opening day,” Gorman said. “On the second day of the season we saw more teal. They must have been in a large concentration that got broken up once hunting pressure commenced on opening day.”

On the Lower Laguna Madre, Capt. Ruben Garza said back lakes south of Port Mansfield were loaded with a good mix of redheads, wi geon and pintail on open ing weekend.

“There were plenty of birds to start the season,” Garza said. “The decoying action was best when the wind was blowing. During calm conditions, the birds became a little more wary.”

Retrievers kept busy during the opening weekend of duck season in the South Zone. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Kayak guide takes anglers off the grid

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

Jared Esley is a full-time kayak fishing guide on the upper Texas coast. His business is called Tails and Scales Kayak Guide Service, and he takes anglers to unpressured areas where they paddle in stealthily to stalk game fish with a rod and reel.

“I basically run kayak trips that are about 6 hours long, focused on fishing marshes, back lakes and remote stretches of shallow water with artificial lures,” Esley said. “Every trip strictly takes place out of kayaks, so I’m typi cally fishing areas that don’t get a ton of pres sure, because most of the time, boats cannot get into them.”

The trips Esley offers take place anywhere from the Galveston area down to Freeport, de pending on the conditions, as well as where he feels he has the best opportunity to put his an glers on fish. He primarily targets redfish, but also regularly catches speckled trout, flounder and black drum when he comes across them in the shallow areas he covers.

“My passion is sight-casting,” Esley said. “If I’m simply fishing by myself, I hardly ever blind cast anymore. I pretty much always focus on sight-casting to fish, whether they are tail ing, cruising, schooling or just can be seen sit ting still underneath the surface. Sight fishing is a whole new ball game from a kayak. That’s why the trips that I offer revolve around fishing areas that are holding good numbers of fish, so blind casting works just as well. Sight casting is challenging and exciting, and it can be very dif ficult to do well while kayaking if you are new to the sport.”

Esley usually takes anywhere from one to three anglers on his kayak charters.

“The majority of the anglers I take on trips are new to kayak fishing,” he said. “Whether someone is an experienced kayaker, or they have never done it before, I can provide all of the equipment they will need to be successful, including the kayak.”

Originally from San Antonio, Esley grew up traveling to his family’s place in the Rockport area to go fishing. He got into kayak fishing at age 18. Then, in 2012, he moved to the League City area with his wife, and began guiding just a handful of years later.

“I started guiding kayak fishing trips in 2016 and made it my full-time career about 4 years ago,” Esley said. “Things slow down for me a little bit during the wintertime, but for the most part it keeps me busy 12 months out of the year.”

Esley was working at a sporting goods store when he moved to League City. The more time he spent kayak fishing along our upper coast marshes, the more guiding trips began to make sense.

“It was something I had always thought about doing, and the thought of having a ca reer in the outdoors versus having a regular day job really appealed to me,” he said. “I gave it

FISHING

Stripers in transition

Schooling on some lakes, scattered on others

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Striped bass, hybrid stripers, white bass and catfish are begin ning to move into a fall pattern as inland lakes continue to cool off. Schooling action from strip ers, hybrids and sandies is taking place on certain bodies of water, while others have provided more inconsistent results. Guides on Lake Whitney, Lake Buchanan and Possum Kingdom Lake have been able to put anglers on fish.

On Lake Whitney, Cory Vinson said the stripers are concentrated in shallow water in depths of 15 feet or less.

“Blind casting into the shallows with top-water baits has been the ticket,” Vinson said. “Dragging live shad through shallow areas has been drawing plenty of strikes as well.”

Vinson says that the fish are not real stacked up.

“You’ll catch one or two here, and then cover a 100-yard stretch or so before you get a few more bites,” he explained. “Putting fish in the box has been as simple as thoroughly covering the shallow areas. It doesn’t take long to catch them if you stay on the move.”

Vinson said Whitney is loaded with sizable stripers.

“We are catching a few over 30 inches regularly, but there are definitely more fish in the 18- to 25-inch range,” he said. “There are just a ton of 4- to 5-pound stripers out there, but fish weigh ing 15 plus pounds have not been uncommon.”

On Lake Buchanan, Fermin Fernandez said the stripers are schooling pretty regularly

Trout bite strong on East Matagorda Bay

By Robert Sloan For Lone Star outdoor newS

One of the best times of the year to be wading or drift fishing on East Matagorda Bay is here at the popular body of wa ter located on the middle Texas coast. The fishing pressure has thinned out and the fish are hitting an assortment of lures.

One of the most popu lar tactics is to wade and guide Charlie Paradoski has been wading this bay for decades. He has been hitting East Matagorda Bay and also the Colorado River.

“I prefer to wade because you can fish an area that’s holding bait really well,” he said. “When I get out of the boat, I make it a point to move with the bait fish.

That’s where the trout will be, along with a few reds.”

While many focus on shell and mud bottoms, Paradoski said it’s not al ways the best structure to fish.

“The many visible reefs here offer some really good top-water fishing,” he said. “On a reef I’ll fish the windward side where there is lots of shell on bot tom. The trick is to figure out what the fish want and stick with the lure that gets bit.”

With the fronts moving through, the fishing im proves.

“The fronts lower the water temperature, and that’s when the shrimp will fall out of the shallow water and into the bay,” Paradoski said. “When the shrimp are on the move,

Jared Esley is a kayak fishing guide on the upper Texas coast who enjoys sharing the experience of catching fish that a small paddle craft provides. Photo from Jared Esley.

Asher Roby caught this nearly 15-pound striper while fishing on Lake Whitney. On lakes Whitney and Bu chanan, the stripers are schooling, while they are still scattered on Possum Kingdom. Photo by Cory Vinson.

While wade-fishing is often preferred, drifting and following bait fish can be successful when targeting speckled trout. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Speckled trout numbers on the mend

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

Coastal Fisheries biologists confirmed what coastal anglers have been experienc ing when it comes to speckled trout. Spot ted seatrout numbers are heading in the right direction after the devastating 2021 freeze, the result of Winter Storm Uri.

In an Emergency Order in April 2021, spotted seatrout regulations were changed to a three-fish bag limit with a 17 to 23 inch slot. Those rules were expanded to include areas from Matagorda Bay (FM 457 in Sargent) south in March 2022, and instituted for two years by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The temporary regulations end in Au gust 2023, and Deputy Director Dakus Geeslin told the commission that spring gillnet surveys were encouraging.

“The fish will have had three spawn ing seasons when the regulations end,” Geeslin said. “Spring gillnets definitely showed improvement.

He said it was too soon to tell whether

the regulation changes were the reason for the improvement.

“Spotted seatrout are moving in the right direction,” he said. “I like what I’m seeing.”

Geeslin also said the efforts of Texas hatcheries should be commended.

“There were 3 million spotted seatrout stocked in 2020,” he said. “In 2021, that number rose to 11 million, and 6 million have been stocked so far in 2022.”

Geeslin said bag seine surveys of south ern flounder also show stabilization from previous overall declining trends.

“The minimum size was raised to 15 inches in September 2020, and the season has been closed from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 since 2021. In the spring of 2022, we saw a sharp increase.”

He acknowledged it was too soon to tell whether the regulation revisions were a reason for the increase, but said he was happy with the results.

“Also, nearly 100,000 flounder were stocked,” he said.

Saltwater changes for snapper, cobia

Lone Star outdoor newS

Attention all red snapper fishermen, even those only heading to state waters. Pro posed regulation changes would require for those targeting any reef fish, including red snapper, the DESCEND Act will apply in state water.

The Act requires vessels fishing for reef fish to have a venting tool or descending device onboard, and rigged and ready.

Dakus Geeslin, deputy director of the Coastal Fisheries Division, told the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission the change is to mirror requirements in federal waters.

“The goal is to reduce discard mortality of reef fish,” he said.

Another saltwater proposal would reduce the cobia (ling) limit to one fish, instead of the current limit of two fish. The minimum length will remain at 40 inches. Addition ally, a vessel limit of two fish per trip would be instituted. These changes also would mirror federal regulations.

“This is the first time having a vessel limit in Texas,” Geeslin said.

Finally, no retention of shortfin mako sharks will be permitted, a change from the previous one fish bag limit with a minimum length of 64 inches.

Louisiana team takes Redfish Cup in Port A

Sean O’Connell of Mandeville, Louisiana., and Edward Adams of Metairie, Louisiana adapted to changing conditions to secure a wire-to-wire win at the Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship with a three-day total of 48 pounds, 3 ounces, earning the team $75,000.

O’Connell and Adams increased their margin each day. In the first round, they estab lished a 13-ounce lead over the team of Bassmaster Elite Series veteran Chris Zaldain, of Fort Worth, and IFA Redfish Tour pro Ryan Rickard of Brandon, Florida, who won last year’s event.

O’Connell and Adams finished ahead by a margin of 3 pounds, 14 ounces over the de fending champs.

For two days, the winners had diligently worked a pattern of long drifts across shallow grass flats in Laguna Madre, south of Port Aransas. With dim skies draping the Texas coast, Day 1 brought southeast winds of 15 to 20 mph, with Day 2 blowing at least as hard out of the northeast.

Both days, O’Connell and Adams used a drift sock to control their speed for efficient coverage with their swimbaits on 3/8-ounce jigheads. Day 3, however, brought much less wind and that eliminated their ability to drift.

“We made two adjustments,” Adams said. “First, Sean tied on a Yo-Zuri topwater so he could make longer casts and I added a Seaguar fluorocarbon leader to my PowerPro braid (because of the clarity).”

Zaldain and Rickard finished with 44 pounds, 5 ounces. Throughout the event, the anglers caught fish on a 6-inch Bass Mafia Daingerous swimbait on a 7/0, 1/4-ounce bellyweighted hook, 4-inch paddletails and 1/4-ounce Aqua Dream spoons.

After fishing a protected area of the upper Laguna Madre between Padre Island and the Intracoastal Waterway, Zaldain and Rickard were hopeful that the final day’s calm, sunny conditions would crack the whip on the big fish they had located.

“There was so much boat traffic in the area we wanted to fish,” Rickard said. “First thing this morning when we pulled in, it was right; we had fish pushing, we had fish tailing — they were there. Within about 30 minutes of us arriving on the flat, there was so much drive-through traffic that those fish got very aware and they just didn’t want to cooperate.”

Drew Cook, of Cairo, Georgia, and Kevin Akin, of Corpus Christi, finished third with 43 pounds, 14 ounces.

On the final day, Cook said the team discovered a working strategy.

“We probably caught more fish today than the first two days combined,” Cook said. “What we figured out was to turn off the electronics. The transducer was pinging and as soon as we turned that off yesterday, we caught five. Today, we never ran it and we caught them all day long. It seemed like they were getting a lot closer to the boat and we weren’t catching them only on the superlong casts.”

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 67 degrees; 9.34’ low. Crap pie are good on minnows and jigs.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 70 degrees; 37.17’ low. Large mouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and Texas-rigged plastics. White bass are fair on silver spoons. Catfish are good on cheese bait and punch bait.

ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 2.73’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

ATHENS: Water clear; 62-68 degrees; 1.54’ low. Largemouth bass are fair but scattered on popping frogs and soft plastics. Crappie are fair to good on minnows.

AUSTIN: Water clear; 70 de grees; 0.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics, top-waters and jigs.

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.65’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

BASTROP: Water clear; 80 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, chatterbaits, 5-inch worms and walking baits.

BELTON: Water lightly stained; 69 degrees; 13.20’ low. White bass are good on tail spinners with white tails. Crappie are fair on hand-tied jigs and minnows.

BENBROOK: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 7.91’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 62 degrees; 1.69’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and chatterbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnow and jigs. Catfish are good on cheese bait.

BRAUNIG: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees. Large mouth bass are fair on soft plastics and spinner baits. Red drum are fair at the dam on live bait, swimbaits and spoons.

BROWNWOOD: Water slightly stained; 63-68 degrees; 7.90’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and glide baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 17.46’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, soft plastics, crankbaits and jig ging spoons. Striped bass and white bass are fair on crankbaits and jigging spoons. Catfish are good on cut shad and punch bait.

CADDO: Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.29’ high. Large mouth bass are fair to good on shad crankbaits, spinner baits, jerk baits and spoons.

CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees. Red

drum are fair on shrimp, live bait, spoons and crankbaits. Blue catfish are good on cut shad, cut tilapia and shrimp. Channel catfish are fair on shrimp and cheese bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 69 degrees; 4.79’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatterbaits, spin ner baits, square-billed crankbaits, and Texas-rigged plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on spin ner baits and silver spoons.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 70 degrees; 23.12’ low. Crappie are good on min nows. White bass are good on jigging spoons and minnows. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

CONROE: Water slightly stained; 72 degrees; 2.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and slowmoving plastics Crappie are slow. Hybrid striped bass are fair on slabs and crankbaits. Catfish are good on catfish bubblegum.

COOPER: Water lightly stained; 78 degrees. Large mouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are on jigs and small spoons. Crap pie are slow.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 67 de grees; 2.70’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are good on small jigs, minnows and crankbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait, perch and soap baits.

CYPRESS SPRINGS: Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 4.93’ low. White bass are fair to good on chartreuse and white slabs with teaser flies. Crap pie are good on minnows. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad.

FAIRFIELD: Water slightly stained; 68 degrees. Large mouth bass are fair to good on chatterbaits, wacky worms, top-waters and crankbaits.

FALCON: Water stained; 71 degrees; 40.07’ low. Large mouth bass are good on soft plastics and jigs. Catfish are good on shrimp, stink bait and cut bait.

FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; 1.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shad crankbaits and plastics. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken liver.

FORK: Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.82’ low. Large mouth bass are fair to slow on Texas rigs with craws and square-billed crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows.

GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.36 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on small minnows and jigs fished near struc ture. White bass are slow. Striped bass are fair drifting live shad. Channel and blue catfish are good on cut bait.

GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 2.16’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and top-waters. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with shad or soap bait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

GRAPEVINE: Water murky; 60 degrees; 0.03’ high. White bass are fair but scat tered on slabs with a jig tied above.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 63 degrees; 2.31’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits, shaky heads, Ned rigs and wacky worms. Crappie are fair on minnows.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 64 degrees; 6.84’ low. White bass are excellent on slabs, rooster tails, road runners and spoons.

JACKSONVILLE: Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 2.28’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, flukes and crankbaits.

JOE POOL: Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.14’ low. Large mouth bass are fair to good on Texas-rigged watermelon senkos or junebug worms on shaky head jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; 0.78’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on crankbaits and chatterbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cheese bait.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 74 degrees; 6.04’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits and top-waters. White bass are fair on paddle tail swim baits. Channel catfish are excellent on prepared bait. Blue catfish are good on cut shad and sunfish.

LBJ: Water stained; 71 degrees; 0.24’ low. Large mouth bass are fair on creature baits in grass. Crap pie are good on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 4.55’ low. White bass are fair on with slabs, small swimbaits and live bait. Hybrid stripers are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair drifting cut shad or chicken breasts.

LIMESTONE: Water clear; 68

degrees; 5.35’ low. Large mouth bass are fair on finesse jigs, Texas rigs and chatter baits. White bass are good on silver jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.04’ low. Large mouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Striped bass are slow. Catfish are fair to good drifting cut bait.

MARTIN CREEK: 70 degrees. Water lightly stained; 3.86’ low. Largemouth bass are good on small swimbaits, spinner baits and worms. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 62 degrees; 54.21’ low. Largemouth bass are good on minnows and artificials. White bass are very good on minnows and curly tailed grubs. Walleye are good on artificials, minnows and crawlers. Catfish are fair on live bait and stink bait.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 65 degrees; 5.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows and small jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

NA CONICHE: Water clear to stained; 66 degrees; 1.00’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits, crankbaits, bladed jigs and rattle lures. Catfish are slow.

NASWORTHY: Water murky; 69 degrees. 0.71’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics, jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on black and chartreuse crappie jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.42’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on small min nows and small jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad and stink bait.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 22.81’ low. Large mouth bass are slow to fair on swimbait. White bass are good on live bait and crank baits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; 10.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on worms and deep-diving crankbaits. Channel catfish are good on chicken liver and shrimp.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 65-67 degrees; 2.54’ low. Largemouth bass are good on wacky rigs and shimmy shakers. Crappie are fair on green jigs with a min now. White bass and hybrids are slow. Catfish are good on

nightcrawlers.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 5.70’ low. Striped bass are fair on live shad and large spoons. White bass are fair on small slabs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 62 degrees; 8.67’ low. Large mouth bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 63-65 degrees; 2.45’ low. White bass are fair on swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 62 degrees; 2.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs with a bucktail trailer. Crap pie are slow. Blue and some channel catfish are fair on cut shad.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 65 degrees; 5.38’ low. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass and hybrids are slow. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on punch bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.24’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, spinner baits and Carolina rigs. Crap pie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait and liver.

SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 5.57’ low. Large mouth bass are fair on craw jigs and shad crankbaits. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on juglines with cut shad.

SPENCE: Water stained; 70 degrees. 43.71’ low. Large mouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Catfish are good on cheese bait and cut bait.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 11.03’ low. White bass are slow to fair on tail spinners.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 3.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters and lipless crankbaits. White bass and stripers are good on swimbaits and slabs. Blue catfish are good drifting cut shad. Channel catfish and smaller blue catfish are good on punch bait and dip bait.

TEXANA: Water stained; 70 degrees; 5.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and small jigs. Catfish are good on liver, cut bait and juglines.

TEXOMA: Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.41’ low. Large mouth and smallmouth bass are slow. Striped bass are very good on slabs, swimbaits and live bait. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue and channel catfish are excellent on cut

shad and prepared baits.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 62-68 degrees; 4.80’ low. Largemouth are good on top-waters, spinner baits, jigs, lipless crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on jigs and small minnows.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 70 degrees; 40.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, small crankbaits and Texas rigs with creatures.

TWIN BUTTES: Water stained; 65 degrees; 22.42’ low. White bass and crappie are fair on minnows. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait and nightcrawlers.

TYLER: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 3.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on stink bait and liver.

WACO: Water stained; 70 degrees; 11.36’ low. Large mouth bass are fair to slow on top-waters, square-billed crankbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on jigs, min nows and hand ties. White bass and hybrids are fair trolling Little George’s and crankbaits.

WALTER E. LONG: Water clear; 75 degrees. Large mouth bass are good on worms and minnows. Crappie are good on white and orange jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 7.81’ low. Largemouth bass are fair in creeks on soft plastics. Striped bass are good trolling umbrella-rigs with white or chartreuse grub tails or swim baits and on live shad.

WORTH: Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.14’ low. White bass are fair on chartreuse and white slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue cat fish and channel catfish are good on cut bait, shad and punch bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 4.95’ high. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair to good on punch bait.

Striper, hybrids and white bass picking up steam

Continued from page 8

alongside hybrids and white bass on a daily basis.

“The fish have been up schooling for several hours each morning,” Fernandez said. “If for some reason we don’t find them chomping along the surface im mediately, you can almost bet they’ll be suspended under the surface in the same areas where they were schooling on top the day before.”

Trolling A-rigs with 4-inch swimbaits has been Fernandez’s preferred tactic for targeting these schools of stripers, hy brids and white bass, along with casting jigging spoons.

“There’s really no particular structure they are schooling up over,” Fernandez said. “It’s almost strictly an open water deal. They are chasing shad, and we’ve got a ton of shad on Buchanan. Recent ly, I’ve seen schools of fish chasing shad that were as large as a couple of acres.”

The schooling action has been better when there is a steady breeze.

“They have been shutting down when it gets dead calm,” he said.

The majority of the keeper fish caught from these schools are hybrids weighing about 3 pounds.

On Possum Kingdom, TJ Ranft said the striper bite has been a bit of a grind.

“We have been chasing stripers for the first few hours of each morning, and then switching our focus to catfish,” Ranft said. “There’s just been no consistency to the striper pattern. They seem to be moving all over the place and not staying in one area for very long.”

When chasing stripers, live shad has produced the most bites.

“I’ve been catching stripers in anywhere from 15 to 40 feet of water,” Ranft said. “You just never know where they are going to be. Most of them are in fairly small schools.”

After the striper bite dies down, Ranft has been finding blue cats from 2 to 5 pounds range with some 10 to 15 pounders mixed in, using cut shad in 2 to 15 feet of water.

T P W D T R O U T S T O C K I N G 2 0 2 2

A s c a r a t e | E l P a s o 6 0 0 0 1 1 / 3 0 / 2 0 2 2 1 / 5 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 2 / 2 0 2 3 B u e n a V i s t a P a r k L a k e | w a c o 8 9 6 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 1 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

u s t n 8 9 6 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 1 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

B u r k e C r e n s h a w L a k e | P a s a d e n a 2 4 0 0 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 C C e n t r a l P a r k P o n d # 1 | C o l l e g e S t a t i o n 1 7 9 2 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 1 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

G r e e n b r a r P a r k | F O R T W O R T H 1 8 9 6 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 1 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

H e r m a n L t t l e P o n d | S P R N G 1 8 9 6 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 1 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

H u r s t C h i s h o l m P a r k | H U R S T 1 8 9 6 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 K n g f s h e r L a k e | A U S T N 1 7 9 2 1 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 1 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

M a r y J o P e c k h a m P a r k | K A t y 6 3 2 0 1 / 2 3 / 2 0 2 2 1 2 / 9 / 2 0 2 2 2 / 2 2 / 2 0 2 2 / 6 / 2 0 2 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 1 / 2 0 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 7 / 2 0 2 3 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3

T r i n t y P a r k C l e a r F o r k T r i n t y R i v e r | F o r t W o r t h 3 0 0 3 / 3 / 2 0 2 3 2 / 7 / 2 0 2 3

Trout grouping up

Continued from page 1

the size of the mullet isn’t a factor. The big ones will be mixed with smaller ones.

“The size of the mullet you see really doesn’t make a difference,” he said. “The trout will be with them regardless of size. If you see any mullet, follow them and you’ll more than likely catch trout.”

Farah usually fishes jigs all day long, but one trick is to fish a paddle tail jig.

“It has a slower fall and good movement,” he said. “That movement of the tail will catch both trout and reds on any given day. Fishing jigs is all about the presentation. Work them slow and on and off structure like rocks.”

Farah specializes in drift-fishing, while a lot of other guides prefer to wade. Farah believes with drift fishing he has time to show his customers what’s going on.

“I like to teach my clients how to improve their fishing success,” he said. “When wading they might get into situations that require tactics they aren’t familiar with. When we are in the boat, I can show them what lures to fish and where. Also, when we are drifting, we have the opportunity to cover lots of water. That’s very important. At the end of the day, the folks have learned new techniques and have built their confidence in their fish-catching ability.”

C h e c k T P W D f o r m o r e n f o r m a t o n a n d b a g l m t s

Dan White landed this striped bass while fishing on Lake Whitney with guide Cory Vinson. Photo by Cory Vinson.

WARDEN HONORED BY AGENCIES

Montgomery County Game Warden

Brandon Meinkowsky was named the 2022 Southeastern Associa tion of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) Officer of the Year. The Officer of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who excels in teamwork and public outreach, excellence and innovation and attitude and leadership.

NEW, RETIRED K9 OFFICERS

Several K9 officers were recog nized for the dogs’ years of service as they retired to their handlers’ homes. The list included Ruger, one of the original dogs when the program started and 10-year-lab Cash that died this spring. Other retired officers included K9s Justin, Tito, Woodrow, Rusty, Ray, Turbo, Bosch and Bliss. Six new K9 officer completed training and became certified and commissioned. The of ficers are Jake, Sky, Izzy, Lola, May and Tito, who was forced into early retirement due to an injury.

HUNTER ED CELEBRATES 50 YEARS

Austin Zurek, of Midlothian, was recognized as the 1.5 millionth

HANCOCK NAMED WARDEN OF THE YEAR

Bo Hancock, a game warden in Brewster and Pre sidio counties, was named the 2022 Texas Game Warden of the Year by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. With only six years as a game warden, Hancock leads the Critical Incident Response Team, a role he has held for three years. The team is specially trained to focus on supporting wardens, fellow law enforcement and community mem bers who have experienced traumatic incidents.

Hunter Education student at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commis sion November meeting. Zurek completed a classroom course taught by Brian Moss, an outdoor education teacher in the Midlo thian Independent School District. To highlight this milestone, both student and instructor received a commemorative .22-caliber “Golden Boy” rifle donated by Henry Repeating Arms. The first

Hancock coordinated the critical incident response team in Uvalde following the school shooting. Through patience and connection, Hancock helps unite communities after tragedy and utilizes his in sight to teach his fellow wardens. He also created opportunities to share an appreciation of nature with younger generations through kid fish events, water safety programs and wildlife identification teams.

course in Texas was held on Feb. 28, 1972. The course was initially voluntary, but on June 11, 1987, with the signing of SB 504 by Governor Clements, a statute on Hunter Education in Texas was set.

The TPW Commission subsequently passed rules for a mandatory Hunt er Education program on June 1, 1988 and established a grandfather date of Sept. 2, 1971, meaning anyone born on or after that date, is

required to pass Hunter Education to legally hunt in Texas.

A CHRISTMAS STORY FROM THE DIBOLL POLICE

Diboll officers were alerted about kids shooting a .22 rifle in the city. When they arrived, they found three 10 year old boys shooting a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun (just like Ral phie’s), at cans on the ground in a safe manner. The officers took some

time out of their shift to teach the boys safe BB gun handling tech niques.

WARDENS HONORED FOR BUI, DUI ARRESTS

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Com mission recognized Houston and Beaumont area game wardens were recognized with the 2021 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Outstanding Law Enforcement Award. According to Capt. Jennifer Weaver, the award is an encouraging incentive for her team’s determination. “We took on some of the most complicated in toxication cases—cases that require long hours, immense paperwork and due diligence,” she added.

“Game wardens were not deterred. In several cases, they stepped up and out of their comfort zone to ensure intoxicated operators were held accountable.”

REPORT

ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000. CALL OPERATION GAME THIEF AT (800) 792-4263

HEROES

Boone Harrison, 7, was fishing a private pond in Sunset, when he caught this largemouth bass on a silver spoon.

Brian Bernardo hunted with Thor Wildlife Safaris for buffalo, hippo, impala, puku and bushbuck.

James Davison, 19, caught his first tripletail with Captain Gene Allen

Dijon Wilcox caught a Texas Grand Slam while fishing out of Port Mansfield.

Sarah Beth Keyes, 12, killed this buck at Cactus Jack Ranch in Laredo. It scored 138 and weighed 202-pounds. Sarah Beth was hunting with her dad, Wes and grandaddy, Dale

father-daughter left at 4 a.m. to get to the lease in time. But the forecasted west wind turned straight south — totally wrong for the blind they were in.

“We saw nothing for the first hour,” Harrison said. “Then a few does came out, stuck their noses in the air and left. We were planning to get out of there.”

Then Marley saw a pair of bucks walking across the field, about 230 yards away.

“I pulled out a grunt call, which for me usually doesn’t work,” Conor said. “I grunt ed three time and he started running.”

Marley’s eyes widened.

“He’s coming toward us, dad,” she said.

When the buck got to 70 yards, her dad grunted again and the buck stopped, al most broadside.

“Shoot him in the shoulder,” Conor said. Marley pulled the trigger of her .243 and the buck, her first deer, was down.

One thing hunters in many areas did no tice. They weren’t seeing any fawns.

MLD landowners, where deer surveys are performed, already knew the fawn crop was low in many areas of the state, espe cially to the west.

Bruce Klingman said he had virtually no fawn on his property near Baird in Calla han County, Harrison said they had the same situa tion.

“We’re not seeing any,” he said. “But we had good recruitment for the last 4 years so we’ll be OK.”

In Mitchell County, one large ranch got the bad news after a helicopter survey. The fawn die-off was worse than expected, near ly 100 percent. Only two fawns were seen when there should have been 100, and the biologist felt the ranch also lost adult deer.

While the area is wet now, the rains came

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Nov 11 10:49

7:08 12:55 7:34 1:21 8:05 1:52 8:31 2:18 9:01 2:48 9:26 3:14 14 Mon 9:55 3:43 10:19 4:07 15 Tue 10:46 4:34 11:09 4:57 16 Wed 11:33 5:21 11:55 5:44

17

Height Nov 17 12:46 AM 1.28H 4:08 PM 0.47L Nov 18 12:52 AM 1.21H 7:47 AM 0.84L 10:46 AM 0.89H 5:27

Nov 21 12:39 AM 0.36H 9:10 AM 0.07L

Nov 22 12:13 AM 0.39H 9:41 AM 0.01L 9:39 PM 0.44H

Nov 23 10:22 AM -0.04L 10:10 PM 0.48H

Nov 24 11:09 AM -0.07L 11:04 PM 0.50H

Date Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Nov 11 12:28 AM 0.87H 1:03 PM -0.19L Nov 12 1:41 AM 0.88H 1:49 PM -0.15L Nov 13 2:29 AM 0.87H 2:39 PM -0.11L Nov 14 3:03 AM 0.85H 3:29 PM -0.06L Nov 15 3:25 AM 0.82H 4:13 PM -0.02L Nov 16 3:35 AM 0.78H 4:48 PM 0.04L Nov 17 3:33 AM 0.73H 5:17 PM 0.12L Nov 18 3:19 AM 0.66H 5:44 PM 0.22L Nov 19 2:48 AM 0.59H 11:43 AM 0.32L Nov 20 1:38 AM 0.54H 9:32 AM 0.22L Nov 21 12:11 AM 0.55H 9:32 AM 0.07L 8:14 PM 0.65H Nov 22 9:56 AM -0.07L 8:53 PM 0.79H Nov 23 10:34 AM -0.20L 9:51 PM 0.89H Nov 24 11:20 AM -0.29L 11:18 PM 0.95H Nov 25 12:13 PM -0.34L Date Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Nov 11 10:29 AM -0.16L 10:27 PM 1.18H Nov 12 11:08 AM -0.12L 11:27 PM 1.15H Nov 13 11:50 AM -0.07L Nov 14 12:33 AM 1.11H 12:34 PM 0.00L Nov 15 1:31 AM 1.07H 1:22 PM 0.09L Nov 16 2:10 AM 1.00H 2:17 PM 0.18L Nov 17 2:28 AM 0.92H 3:37 PM 0.29L Nov 18 12:07 AM 0.86H 7:13 AM 0.67L 10:03 AM 0.73H 5:09 PM 0.40L Nov 19 6:46 AM 0.53L 11:44 AM 0.78H 6:17 PM 0.51L 11:21 PM 0.83H Nov 20 6:56 AM 0.35L 1:35 PM 0.87H 7:15 PM 0.65L 11:33 PM 0.85H Nov 21 7:15 AM 0.16L 2:54 PM 0.97H 8:13 PM 0.80L 11:42 PM 0.90H Nov 22 7:39 AM -0.02L 4:01 PM 1.06H 9:22 PM 0.95L 11:36 PM 0.97H Nov 23 8:09 AM -0.18L 5:16 PM 1.13H Nov 24 8:47 AM -0.29L 9:01 PM 1.21H Nov 25 9:33 AM -0.35L 10:01 PM 1.26H Date Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Nov 11 9:49 AM 0.05L 9:08 PM 1.96H Nov 12 10:31 AM 0.08L 10:11 PM 1.94H Nov 13 11:17 AM 0.14L 11:02 PM 1.90H Nov 14 12:09 PM 0.23L 11:39 PM 1.84H Nov 15 1:04 PM 0.33L Nov 16 12:01 AM 1.76H 2:03 PM 0.45L Nov 17 12:05 AM 1.64H 3:07 PM 0.59L 11:55 PM 1.52H Nov 18 7:26 AM 1.09L 10:04 AM 1.12H 4:20 PM 0.76L 11:39 PM 1.40H Nov 19 6:29 AM 0.92L 12:00 PM 1.24H 5:39 PM 0.94L 11:25 PM 1.32H Nov 20 6:22 AM 0.68L 1:29 PM 1.40H 7:00 PM 1.11L 11:11 PM 1.28H Nov 21 6:37 AM 0.40L 2:46 PM 1.59H 8:34 PM 1.28L 10:46 PM 1.31H Nov 22 7:04 AM 0.13L 3:55 PM 1.75H Nov 23 7:39 AM -0.11L 5:03 PM 1.88H Nov 24 8:22 AM -0.30L 6:20 PM 1.96H Nov 25 9:10 AM -0.42L 7:51 PM 2.00H Date Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Nov 11 3:03 AM 0.74H 4:19 PM -0.04L Nov 12 3:48 AM 0.71H 5:42 PM -0.01L Nov 13 4:35 AM 0.66H 6:56 PM -0.01L Nov 14 5:25 AM 0.61H 7:58 PM -0.01L Nov 15 6:11 AM 0.57H 8:46 PM 0.00L Nov 16 6:41 AM 0.53H 9:20 PM 0.02L Nov 17 5:54 AM 0.48H 9:44 PM 0.07L Nov 18 5:23 AM 0.43H 11:26 AM 0.34L 1:53 PM 0.35H 9:59 PM 0.14L Nov 19 4:58 AM 0.39H 11:26 AM 0.23L 4:44 PM 0.33H 10:06 PM 0.23L Nov 20 3:27 AM 0.39H 11:37 AM 0.09L 7:12 PM 0.37H 10:12 PM 0.34L Nov 21 3:02 AM 0.44H 11:57 AM -0.05L Nov 22 2:51 AM 0.51H 12:25 PM -0.18L Nov 23 2:28 AM 0.58H 1:05 PM -0.28L Nov 24 2:27 AM 0.65H 2:01 PM -0.32L Nov 25 3:01 AM 0.68H 3:22 PM -0.32L

Trout feeding

the birds will be over them. That’s hap pening right now. But during the early stages of shrimp movement we’ll have lots of sand trout with them.”

The water is unusually warm for this time of year at about 70 degrees, when normally it would be in the mid-60s.

“One of my go-to lures for larger trout is a Heddon One Knocker with a white belly or in solid pink,” Paradoski said. “With this lure you want to work it slow, but there are times when a faster retrieve will get the most blowups. It’s a lure that has produced good numbers of 3- to 5-pound trout lately.”

Soft plastic jigs also work on East Mat ty and most other Texas bays. Paradoski prefers Assassins in plum with a char treuse tail, morning glory, 10W40 and fried chicken, which is bone-colored.

“During warmer months I’ll use rat tail jigs,” he said. “But right now I want

to fish the jigs slower. That’s when I’ll switch over to a paddle tail and slow down the retrieve. A 1/8-ounce jighead is usually best. But as the water chills, I’ll rig the tails on a 1/16- or even a 1/32-ounce jig head.”

He prefers the screw-lock jig heads to hold onto the jig longer.

Another Paradoski has noticed are the number of dolphin in the bay.

“We are catching lots of trout right now, and a whole lot of them have to be released,” he said. “Lots of them are being eaten by dolphin. That will more than likely have an impact on the num bers of trout here and on other bays. But for the time being, fishing for both trout and reds is very good here. We lost a lot of fish in the freeze but we will bounce back. It’s just going to take a couple of years for that to happen.”

Kayak guide

from page 8

a shot, and before I knew it, things just took off and I haven’t looked back since.”

Esley said kayak fishing has always made sense to him from the first time he tried it.

“The sport is so simple,” he said. “You can just throw the kayak in the back of your truck and go. I don’t have to worry about maintenance, or the other expensive costs that go hand in hand with owning a boat, plus I can get to areas that most boats can’t.”

Esley loves the stealthiness a kayak provides.

“Fishing out of a kayak really helps you take your time and learn more about the area you are fishing,” he said. “It can really make you wonder how many fish you run over, spook, or pass up in a boat, every time you go fishing out of one.”

Esley enjoys seeing a new kayak angler begin to put everything together and be come comfortable with controlling and fishing out of the kayak.

“Kayak fishing is multi-tasking at its finest,” he said. “There’s a lot going on at all times, and it’s awesome to see that light bulb effect take place. Sharing the experi ence with them and getting to see them enjoy it is what makes my job so much fun. Catching fish out of a kayak is definitely a peaceful, rewarding experience that keeps you close to nature.”

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UTV brand

Snapper species

The king of ducks, in short

Season closed Nov. 1 for this fish

Fishing lure brand

A deer feed

Dove-hunting destination

Outdoor retailer

Sinker type

INDUSTRY

Lance joins St. Croix

St. Croix Rod hired Josh Lantz as corpo rate communications manager.

Regional director jobs at RMEF

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation seeks regional directors in northern Oregon, Texas and the Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi).

Sales reps hired by Outdoor Edge

Outdoor Edge Cutlery hired Odle Sales Agency to handle the Midwest Territory, Wild West Marketing in the West Territory, Murski Breeding Sales in the Southeast Territory, and JKS Unlimited in the Northeast.

Sales agency for WildEar

WildEar retained Kansas-based Covey Sales & Marketing as its new sales represen tative team in the Midwestern U.S.

Execs at MDF

The Mule Deer Foundation hired Joshua Stratton as director of communications and promoted Steve Belinda to chief conserva tion officer.

Morris honored by CSF

Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris was given the distinction of Honorary Life Director by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

New store for Academy

Academy Sports + Outdoors opened its Meyerland store in Houston, the 33rd in the greater Houston area and 107th in Texas.

Madole to lead Chiappa

Don Madole was appointed president of Chiappa Firearms, USA, Ltd by owner Rino Chiappa.

Grilled redfish and crab with lemon butter sauce

Oil (not olive oil) for brushing on the grill rack and fish fillets

1/4 cup dry white wine, divided

6 skinless redfish fillets

2 tbsp. Creole seasoning

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Warm French bread

Preheat grill and add wet or dry hickory chips. Brush the rack with a thick wad of paper towels saturated in oil. Prepare the lemon butter sauce and keep warm. Brush both sides

of fillets with salad oil and season on both sides with Cre ole seasoning. Place the fillets directly on grill and cook until they are done, about 2-1/2 to 4 minutes per side. While the fillets are grilling, sauté the crabmeat in melted butter and

1/4 cup wine, salt and pepper.

Cook until the crabmeat is just warmed through, about two minutes.

Lemon Butter Sauce

11/2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. minced lemon zest

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. minced shallots

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp. heavy cream

3 1/2 sticks cold unsalted but ter, cut into about 20 pats

1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine the wine, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Cook over medium-high heat until the liquid in the mixture reduces to 1 to 2 tbsp., about five min utes. Add the cream and cook until the liquid in the pan

reduces to 1 to 2 tablespoons, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook as you add 2 pats of butter at a time, whisking constantly, until all the butter is added and incorporated into the sauce. Remove from heat. Whisk in the kosher salt and pepper. Arrange a fish fillet on heated dinner plate. Top each with a portion of the crabmeat, and spoon sauce over it. —LDFW

1 venison heart 1 cup water 1 1/2 cup white vinegar 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup white wine 1/8 cup pickling spice Raw onion slices (to taste)

Allow venison heart to boil, on rolling boil for at least 30 minutes. Heat water, white vinegar and sugar in saucepan until it reaches a boil.

With heat off, add white wine, pickling spice, and raw onion slices to the sauce pan mixture. Slice the boiled heart and place in a quart jar while adding the vinegar solution. You will have leftover solution. Put a lid on jar and place in refrigerator. Let cure for one week. Keep in refrigerator until used.

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

NATIONAL

MISSOURI

NASGW awards

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers announced the winners of their annual Appreciation and Caliber Awards at the NASGW Expo, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Appreciation Award winners: Firearm Manufacturer of the Year Springfield Armory

Optics Manufacturer of the Year (three-way tie)

Holosun Technologies Leupold & Stevens, Inc.

Sig Sauer

Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year PMC Ammunition

Accessory Manufacturer of the Year Franklin Armory

Importer of the Year Zastava Arms Innovator of the Year

Springfield Armory

CALIBER AWARD WINNERS

Best New Accessory

American Outdoor Brands - Caldwell Clay more Target Thrower

Best New Optic

Holosun Technologies - EPS Carry (Enclosed Pistol Optic Carry)

Best New Ammunition Hornady Manufacturing - Hornady Outfitter Ammunition

Best New Handgun

Sig Sauer - P365-XMACRO

Best New Rifle

Christensen Arms - Ridgeline FFT

Best New Shotgun Mossberg - 940 Pro Turkey Optic-Ready Autoloading Shotguns

Best New Overall Product

Sig Sauer - P365-XMACRO

a new committee tasked with planning for CEO succession. Further, the Company will suspend the separation of its ammuni tion and marketplace businesses into two independent publicly traded companies. The Company has also ended its previously an nounced internal investigation into Mr. Urvan and Ms. Lokey.

ARKANSAS

—Ammo Inc.

Free breakfast for hunters

Many hunters headed to deer camp to get things ready for opening weekend of modern gun deer season made quick pit stops to fuel up at their local Hardee’s restaurant. Every Hardee’s restaurant in Arkansas gave a free sausage biscuit to anyone who showed their valid hunting license to the cashier during each restaurant’s normal breakfast hours on Nov. 10. All 53 Hardee’s locations in Arkan sas participated in the one-day giveaway. —AGFC

VIRGINIA

Woman anglers on the

rise

Women now account for 37 percent of anglers in the U.S., according to the Special Report on Fishing by the Recreational Boat ing and Fishing Foundation in collaboration with the Outdoor Foundation. A total of 19.4 million women went fishing in 2021, an 8-percent increase in fishing outings since 2019. Of that total, 1.6 million female par ticipants were first timers. The total number of fishing outings for females in 2021 was 288 million.

Female fishing participation fell slightly in 2021 from its 2020 all-time high. In 2021

—NASGW

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

SABINE LAKE: 74 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good in the ICW on live shrimp under a popping corks or 5-inch artificials with a glo chartreuse tail. Bull redfish are fair on gold and silver spoons.

BOLIVAR: 75 degrees. Redfish are fair in cuts through the ICW on a popping cork with live shrimp.

TRINITY BAY: 70 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 72 degrees. Red fish are good along shorelines on shrimp. Speckled trout are fair but small over birds on shrimp and artificials.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 73 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair in back lakes on shrimp under popping corks or on the bottom with shrimp.

TEXAS CITY: 72 degrees. Bull redfish are good at the Galveston jetties and off the Texas City Dike. Speckled trout and redfish are good at night under lights on shrimp.

good wading with soft plastics or shrimp under popping corks. Redfish are good on mullet.

PORT O’CONNOR: 75 degrees. Oversized redfish and slot redfish are good at the jetties on Spanish sardines and dead shrimp. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.

ROCKPORT: 74 degrees. Redfish are good on artificials and cut bait. Speck led trout are good on soft plastics. Black drum are good in 4-6 feet of water on dead shrimp near inlets on outgoing tides.

PORT ARANSAS: 74 degrees. Bull and slot redfish are fair on cut mullet. Black drum are fair on live or dead shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 74 degrees. Red fish are fair on cut mullet. Sand trout and black drum are fair on live or dead shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: 72 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on croaker.

PORT MANSFIELD: 77 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on top-waters and paddle tails.

FREEPORT: 75 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on scented plas tics and shrimp under a popping cork.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Redfish and speckled are fair wading with artificials and live shrimp under a popping cork.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 74 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair to

SOUTH PADRE: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good but small on shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are fair on cut mullet.

PORT ISABEL: 75 degrees. Undersized speckled trout are good on shrimp. Red fish are fair on mullet.

—TPWD

DATEBOOK

NOVEMBER 12

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Rio Grande Valley Hooked on Clays

Mission Skeet and Trap (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

NOVEMBER 15

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Johnson County Dinner

Cleburne Conference Center (817) 357-2665 ducks.org

NOVEMBER 17

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Weatherford Dinner

Parker County Sheriff’s Posse Bldg. (817) 929-7061 ducks.org

MULE DEER FOUNDATION

Alpine Beer for Deer Spicewood Restaurant (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org

NOVEMBER 19

AUSTIN FLY ANGLERS

Flies and Flames Expo Star Hill Ranch austinflyanglers.com

NOVEMBER 25

KIMBLE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Wild Game Dinner

Coke Stevenson Memorial Center (325) 446-3190 junctiontexas.com

DECEMBER 2

MULE DEER FOUNDATION

Greater San Antonio Banquet Leading Edge Archery, Boerne (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org

DECEMBER 8

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

Final DSC 100 Volunteer Party (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB FOUNDATION

Christmas Party Cadillac Bar (713) 623-8844 hscfdn.org

JANUARY 5-8

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

Convention & Sporting Expo Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

JANUARY 13-14

DEER BREEDERS CORP

Annual New Year’s Auction Horseshoe Bay Resort (972) 289-3100 dbcdeer.com

JANUARY 20-22

HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB FOUNDATION

Annual Convention George R. Brown Convention Center (713) 623-8844 hscfdn.org

Bays closed to oystermen

Continued from page 1

demand and pressure to the Texas oyster harvest,” he said. “Texas is one of the last wild-caught oyster opportunities in the U.S.

At the time of the hearing, public comment was 80 percent in favor of the three-bay closure, with 6,994 in favor and 1,508 op posed. For the temporary closures, 65 percent were in support and 21 percent opposed.

The Commission hearing filled the auditorium and TPWD head quarters, along with overflow rooms. Nearly 150 people testified at the hearing.

Most of the opponents were oyster fishermen and family mem bers, many non-English speaking, who questioned the rules and ex pressed concern for their future livelihood.

Proponents cited the concern for the fishery and protecting the oyster resource. The group FlatsWorthy rented a bus, coming from the Rockport area.

After all the speakers were heard, Commission Chairman Beaver Aplin commented, “That’s why it’s so critical to sort this out. We’re really struggling with producing enough oysters for consumption.”

Following the testimony, the Commission voted unanimously to approve the closure proposals.

But TPWD was left with a challenge from the Commission, in the form of a future plan with several components, with Aplin cit ing concern for the people and employees in the industry who ap peared before the Commission.

“We need to start providing a sustainable oyster program,” Ap lin said. “Oyster farming, a leasing program, the license buyback program we started — we need to come up with a plan before the legislative session in January and we need to be at the front door of the legislature when it begins.”

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Every year, DSC hosts its annual Convention that raises funds for grants in conservation, education, and advocacy. The four-day 2023 DSC Convention is open to the public and will fill over 800,000 square feet with 1,000 exhibitors featuring outfitted hunts, firearms, gear, wildlife art and much more.