With the passage of recent cold fronts and a drop in water temperatures, the action from bull reds and slot-sized redfish has become more consistent. Anglers and guides have been catching them from the boat and wading.
Fishing gear and equipment designer, Danny Uribe of Protos Fishing, recently targeted redfish on a calm day between cold fronts out of Aransas Pass. He found upper slot redfish in shallow back lakes, as well as schools of bull redfish feeding along the bottom in the ship channel.
“The tide was high and there were plenty of redfish feeding along cuts and back lakes off of the Lydia Ann Channel,” Uribe said. “Most of the fish were
In a class of their own
Busy early morning opener
Lone Star outdoor newS
Opening day of waterfowl season in the North Zone greeted hunters with clear skies and light winds, but many reported seeing good numbers of a variety of species.
The best decoying action took place right at legal shooting time for some, while others had success later into the morning hours.
Hunting buddies Mike Major and Matt Marsh spent opening morning in a blind at the edge of a pond northeast of Dallas.
“The first 20 minutes or so of legal light was absolute chaos,” Major said. “We were covered up with birds.”
After the first flight or two of ducks, the birds trickled in over the pond in pairs or groups of threes until about 8 a.m.
“It was a really great hunt for the opener,” Marsh said. “The birds were steady and they worked in over the decoys well. I don’t think we felt the need to pick up a call the entire morning.”
Major and Marsh both took limits,
Danny Uribe found schools of bull reds feeding along the bottom in the channel near Port Aransas, and had success with jigs. Photo from Danny Uribe.
Alek Cavazos harvested this narrow buck in Brooks County. Photo from Alek Cavazos.
Mike Major, left and Matt Marsh took limits on the opening morning of the North Zone duck season while hunting a pond northeast of Dallas. Photo from Matt Marsh.
FOR THE FIELD OR BACKCOUNTRY
WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.
DSC convention ready for Texans, more
While the Dallas Safari Club convention has moved to Atlanta as the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center gets a 5-year complete renovation, the event at the Georgia World Congress Center, coming up Jan. 9-12, 2025, will be familiar in many ways but considerably stepped up in others.
The sparkling, new convention hall’s 800,000 square feet will be full of exhibitors, as the space has been totally sold out.
Known for its volunteer army, plenty are making the trip from Dallas, along with members of DSC chapters from across the country, especially from Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina (Charleston Safari Club), who are coming in force to help out.
The evening banquets, to be held at the Signia by Hilton Hotel, boast a stellar lineup of featured speakers.
At the Thursday Evening Banquet, Georgia native Michael Waddell, the popular host of Bone Collector, former champion turkey caller and avid conservationist, will address the crowd.
On Friday night, the banquet will high light Joey Jones, a Marine Corps veteran, York Times bestseller for his book “Unbroken Bonds of Battle,” and Fox News contributor.
The Ladies Luncheon, held at the Omni Atlanta Hotel on Jan. 10, will welcome Julie McQueen, the president of Carbon TV, the online video destination for outdoor themed shows, along with entertainment from The Tams, a popular band with chart success in the 1960s and 70s, that has been entertain ing for more than 50 years.
While the traditional Life Member Break fast will be held at DSC’s first Summer Expo and DSC Foundation Gala in July, 2025, the Conservation Champions Breakfast will be held at the Omni Atlanta Saturday morning for attendees to discover the true heart of wildlife conservation in action.
Finally, at the Saturday Evening Banquet, Randy Houser, country singer, songwriter, actor and outdoorsman, will perform for the crowd to wrap up the banquets and auctions.
Speaking of auctions, online bidding is al ready open for the items to be sold at each night’s auction.
If you’re planning on making the 2-hour flight or the 12-hour drive from Dallas, ho tel rooms are still available, as DSC said there are 12 options available within 2 miles of the World Congress Center.
Special rates at most of the hotels are still available.
HUNTING
A dozen new hunters
Welcome to Duck Hunting 101
By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS
As the dawn broke, some of the dozen new duck hunt ers watched redheads swim in the decoys — and then their guide, looking at the clock on his phone, counted down the seconds to shooting time.
At 6:18 a.m. the first shots rang out over the calm bay. Soon a couple of duck feet could be seen paddling — up side down.
Hunters in other blinds in the bay heard the shots, as sound was traveling well in the super-humid air.
The group of new hunt ers all came from Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where they are undergraduate and graduate students in wild life biology. The trip was ar ranged through Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation and the Delta Waterfowl Uni versity Hunting Program.
When they arrived at Port Bay Club, in Rockport, on Monday, Nov. 11, most didn’t have a shotgun, waders or camo clothing. The program provided each of these for the new hunters to use, along with BOSS shotshells.
That afternoon, they had plenty of new experiences. In pairs with their guide, they headed out in the boats, got the decoys out and got settled in their blinds. Unfortunate ly, few ducks flew and only two birds were shot by the en tire group.
Something changed over night, though, perhaps due to the incoming cool front. On Tuesday morning, ducks were seemingly everywhere.
Two hunters, Madison Garvin and Brie Garza, were “We want to know if we can ing his boot and removing some coastal mud from the soles. Each put some on their
Buck, experience spotlights Free Deer Hunt
On Nov. 1, Amber Kuhn won Lone Star Outdoor News’ Free Deer Hunt at 3 Amigos Ranch. She didn’t waste any time responding, and didn’t waste any time scheduling her hunt, possibly since she is 7 months
On Nov. 13, Amber, with her husband, Danny, headed from their Weatherford home to nearby Throckmorton County to the ranch. After a quick tour of the ranch, by late afternoon they were in the blind.
“We saw all kinds of animals, including a scimitar-horned oryx,” Amber said. “I wanted to shoot everything. There was one nice deer I could shoot, but Frank (Marino, one of the owners of the ranch and her guide) thought we could wait and find a better one.”
That evening, after a great dinner, they spent time discussing the animals and the morning hunt.
The next morning, by the time they reached the blind, there was a nice fallow buck standing there.
“A buck had been in the feeder pen — my husband saw him,” Amber said. “And there was another giant next to him. When the feeder
Lone Star outdoor newS
Garvin, of Jourdanton and a freshman technician for Dr. Bart Ballard duck banding
The Georgia World Congress Center will be the site of DSC’s annual convention in January. Photo from DSC.
Madison Garvin, right, and Brie Garza both shot their first ducks while being guided by Jeremy Griffis. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Amber Kuhn, while 7 months pregnant, took this tall 8-point buck on a hunt she won from Lone Star Outdoor News. She was accompanied by her husband, Danny. Photo by 3 Amigos Ranch.
From student to mentor
By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS
Aidan Flores started duck hunting at age 10, when a neighbor and hunting guide took a liking to him. Now, at 30, he’s turned that passion into a career — as a Hunter Recruitment Coordinator with Delta Waterfowl.
Flores’ father, Albert, a retired Texas game warden who loves to hunt — was always busy checking duck hunters on the weekend.
Capt. Dana Smith, who lived just down the road, picked up the slack, though.
“He would come and pick me up and take me hunting and fishing,” Flores said. “He had a guide service, and for eight years I also helped him out as a deck hand.”
Flores turned his passion for hunting waterfowl and wetlands into a career. After obtaining his wildlife management degree at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, he obtained his master’s degree from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, studying waterfowl.
“I worked with black ducks and mallards on coastal Long Island,” Flores said. “It was a perfect fit going from coastal Texas to coastal Long Island.”
After three years in New York, Flores returned to his Ingleside home. Capt. Smith was ready to stop guiding, and Flores obtained the business in 2020, renaming it Heritage Flats Guide Service.
In 2022, in Delta Waterfowl’s Student Hunting Program, the Hunter Recruitment Coordinator position came available, and Flores jumped at the chance.
“Growing up, I had always heard of Delta through duck hunters in my area,” he said. “They started their HunteR3 program and the University Hunting Program and this was the first regional position they opened. Everything worked out great.”
Now, Flores is in charge of taking students, most on their first hunt, in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona.
“Over the last three program seasons, I have taken about 450 students hunting,” he said. “My background is as a wildlife biologist, but as I’ve gotten older I enjoy the human dimension side just as much. The reason I started my guide service was to take people out who don’t normally get to go, so this job goes hand in hand.”
Taking students gives Flores the chance to introduce hunting to young men and women who will influence the future of the activity.
“These will be the future researchers, biologists and policy makers,” he said. “I get to help them understand the hunter’s role in conservation and share part of what I grew up with — and to pass down hunting and its traditions.”
Flores still guides bay fishing trips and a few hunts when he’s not taking students across the south.
“I spend a lot of time on the water,” he said. “And now my mom and dad, now that he’s retired, get to go with me.”
Flores’ dog isn’t your typical duck dog, she’s an English pointer named Kimber. “She’s 10 years old and still going strong,” he said. “She loves to duck hunt but wouldn’t do well farther north — she needs warmer water.”
Pheasant numbers not improving
Pheasant season begins Dec. 7 in Texas, but despite better habitat conditions this year, the long-term drought still impacted bird populations.
“We’ve had our fair share of weather and environmental extremes here in Texas this year — including wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, drought, tornadoes and hail,” said Pheasants Forever Texas State Coordinator Thomas Janke. “So conditions really vary depending on what part of the state you’re talking about.”
In the short-term, winter conditions were quite good for Texas pheasants, according to John McLaughlin, the upland game bird program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Spring and summer weather was again a net positive across much of the state — with ample rainfall and cool temperatures. But two good seasons don’t make up for long-term trends.
“Extended and varied drought conditions since 2017 have left pheasant populations in Texas at probably one of their lowest points in recent memory,” McLaughlin said. “Conditions were good this year and rangeland/grassland recovery is underway, but that does not negate the drought conditions that persisted over the past few years.”
The northern Panhandle is typically the stronghold for pheasants in Texas. Counties like Dallam and Sherman generally produce decent bird numbers, and the northern and western border counties also see good production.
“Prospects for the fall hunt are looking poor,” McLaughlin said. “It’ll likely be restricted to core areas in the northern Panhandle and High Plains counties bordering New Mexico. Other hotspots may be out there, but they will need to be sought out.”
Last week, Panhandle biologists wrapped up roadside pheasant surveys. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a small uptick was observed in the number of birds observed per route, but still well below the long-term average. Pheasant numbers were strongest in the far northern counties of the Panhandle.
The general season for pheasants in 37 Texas counties runs from Dec. 7 to Jan. 5, 2025.
Lone Star outdoor newS
Aidan Flores has taken 450 new hunters, mostly college wildlife management students, on their first duck hunt as part of his job with Delta Waterfowl. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
NEW ZEALAND HUNTING TRIPS & FISHING ADVENTURES
Election Day first buck
A Fort Worth school closure due to it serving as a poll location allowed Henry Erwin to go hunting with his father, Charlie. On the hunt, he shot his first buck.
On Nov. 5, Erwin, 9, and his father jumped in the truck to head to Bosque County, where they had hunted in the heat over the youth-only rifle season, but only saw several does and some immature bucks.
On the day before rifle season opened, they sat to scout for deer and maybe shoot a pig. Of course, a mature, 12-pointer walked with 60 yards in an open field and hung around for a half-hour.
Watching the buck, a father-son conversation took place about conservation, the law and integrity.
The next morning, Nov. 2, young Henry was unable to sit in the blind, as he was vomiting after indulging on too much Halloween candy. Over the weekend, there was no return from the 12-pointer.
Election Day was Henry’s next chance. With his father, they set up a pop-up blind on the edge of a field about 100 yards downwind from a feeder. Henry got settled in place. They rehearsed getting the rifle onto the sticks and identifying different targets through the scope.
After leaf litter was removed from the floor, they sat quietly and read their books, while occasionally looking out of the window.
Shortly before 4 p.m., two bucks arrived at the edge of the field. One was an immature buck and the other a mature 8-pointer.
buck was facing left when Henry started to get into position, but some taller grass was obscuring the left front leg and making target location placement difficult for the youngster.
The deer stepped clear of the grass to the left but then turned away from the hunter. Finally, the deer quartered back to the hunter and then faced left. As Henry got ready again, the deer turned slightly away.
Henry was instructed to adjust his shot placement back, to account for the vital angles they had studied. But Henry was unsure about the target.
At that moment, the sun broke through the clouds and shone right on the recommended point of aim. Henry said he had the target.
“He asked me to quit asking if he was OK,” Charlie said.
“Dad, I’m chill,” Henry replied.
After quickly reciting their four fundamentals: body position, sight picture, breathing and trigger squeeze, Henry was instructed to take the buck when he was ready.
“Taking,” Henry said, followed by a muzzled boom.
The deer dropped straight down.
“We ran the bolt, went to safe, and continued to observe the deer on the ground,” his father said.
When they got out of the blind, Henry sprinted to his trophy.
“He is very proud of his harvest,” Charlie said. “And I am a proud father.”
Longtime Zimbabwe safari outfitter dies
The founder and owner of Savannah Safaris, in Zimbabwe, Allewyn Johannes “Alec” Strauss died after a lengthy bout with dementia on Oct. 28 at New Haven Memory Care in Kerrville.
Strauss was born in Boksburg, South Africa on April 15, 1943, and spent much of his childhood in South Africa and Zambia relishing farm life where he enjoyed playing with the family’s pets — two cheetahs, a warthog and a kudu. The family raised cattle and Alec’s father worked in the copper mines.
Seeking better opportunities, the family moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where they purchased another farm. Strauss later joined the Rhodesian Army as they fought for their independence. He suffered several wounds, including shrapnel from a land mine, pieces of which he carried until his death.
Following the end of the war in 1980, Alec worked as a supervisor in the Computer Department of Rhodesian Iron and Steel. He then began hunting professionally, and ultimately formed Savannah Safaris, where he entertained hunting clients from around the world.
He and his wife, Jan, retired and moved to Leakey in 2008. He was active in Dallas Safari Club and Safari Club International, including the Texas Hill Country Chapter, and the International Professional Hunters Association.
Henry Erwin had Election Day off from school, and took his first buck while hunting with his father, Charlie.
Photo from Charlie Erwin.
FISHING
A carp taste test
By Cory Byrnes For Lone Star outdoor newS
In 1877, carp were introduced to the United States waterways by the Commission of Fish and Fisheries. It was a prized fish in Europe and was seen as a way to provide a profitable and familiar food staple in the U.S. It never really caught on and quickly fell out of favor.
The carp has seen an uptick in popularity, especially with fly-fisherman, because of its abundance, size and strong runs.
The test
A panel of five people tried three different carp recipes to confirm whether the fish live up to the poor culinary reputation carp have in much of the country. The more common methods of preparing carp, smoking and pickling, were left for another time. The three recipes were fried, stewed and blackened on the grill.
There wasn’t a huge stand-out winner, but the favorite was the stewed carp, followed closely by fried carp. The blackened grilled
carp brought up the rear.
“It should come with a warning label,” angler John Adams said. “There are a lot of bones in it.”
“Overall it’s not bad,” said Rico Anderson. “I don’t think I would ask for it at a restaurant though.”
Marlene Perez rated the fried carp as her favorite.
“It has a firm texture, I would eat this again,” she said.
Tito Perez surprised the group by saying the blackened was his favorite, but Juliette Adams, 11, agreed with most of the other panelists
In skyscraper shadows
Angler hits downtown Dallas river
Lake Majure made a winding journey to Dallas after graduating from the University of Alabama. Once here, a series of events led him to fishing the Trinity River just outside of
“I graduated during COVID and moved to Colorado to be a ski bum for a while,” Majure said. “I got a sales job but got laid off in a month. It was so shut down there, I loaded up and moved home to Mississippi. It was pretty shut down there, too. Then one of my buddies in Dallas called from a bar, around a bunch of our friends. The next day, I packed up and Majure found a place to live while on the drive west.
“Another friend called with an apartment to sublease,” he It turned out, the apartment was in the St. Thomas area of east Dallas, not far from downtown. Soon, Majure’s fishing ad“I was skateboarding the Katy Trail and saw a guy fly-fishing Turtle Creek,” he said. “He caught some bream and a bass and I decided I needed to start fly-fishing here.”
The next fishing adventures began by chance, while grilling on the roof of the apartment complex.
“A buddy told me there were big gar in Texas,” Majure said. “I had shark-fishing rods and looked it up online. I saw a guy holding a 7-foot gar with a skyscraper behind him. From the roof, I could see that building downtown. The next day, I drove over there, went to the bridge on my skateboard and
While most of his friends are still hanging at the bars, some
“You can drink at a bar with your friends,” Majure said. “But it’s better to do it and possibly catch a monster at the same
Predictable
By Nate Skinner
With more fall-like conditions setting in, anglers have been able to predict the movements and behaviors of schools of white bass. On some lakes the sandies have been feeding shallow, while deeper structures and depth changes have been best on other bodies of water.
The timing of wind and temperature changes in relation to the passage of cold fronts also is affecting how the fish are biting.
On Lake Livingston, guide Michael Richardson said the white bass bite has been lights out during the afternoon hours when the water temperature is at its peak.
“We are finding the largest concentrations of fish along the edges of dropoffs in 6 to 15 feet of water,” Richardson said. “White and chartreuse slabs with a teaser rigged above them have been working well.”
Most of the keeper-sized white bass
schools of sandies
his anglers are catching have been from 12-15 inches.
“There are a ton of small white bass out there right now,” he said. “This year’s spawn was phenomenal, and there are white bass everywhere. You just have to cover water and weed through the small ones in order to box a limit. The largest fish have been shallower, in 6 to 10 feet.”
Carey Thorn guides on Lavon Lake, where he said the sandies have been schooling in shallow depths. The largest concentrations of fish have been in stretches of 2-4 feet of water.
“You can see these concentrations of fish in the shallow water,” Thorn said. “The water appears black on the surface where they are schooling.”
Thorn has been throwing 3 to 4-inch swimbaits on 1/4-ounce jig heads with his anglers to catch the largest white bass within these schools. Using a larger bait presentation helps prevent catching a bunch of small fish.
“Most of the fish are anywhere from
10 to 14 inches,” he said. “Days with a light south wind have produced the best action.”
On Lake Belton, guide Bob Maindelle said schools of white bass have been deeper, holding in about 30 feet of water near main lake humps and points.
“The best action has occurred during the passage of cold fronts, especially when the wind has started out light out of the north in the morning and then gradually increased throughout the day,” Maindelle said. “The fish have been more finicky on high-pressure days with little to no wind, especially immediately following the passage of a front.”
MAL lures, an inline spinner Maindelle designed and sells, slabs, jigs and bladed baits have been drawing the most strikes.
“Occasionally, the white bass have been chasing bait up to the surface,” Maindelle said. “This surface activity has been totally random and hasn’t really been lasting very long.”
For Lone Star outdoor newS
A group of friends tried stewed, fried and blackened carp as part of a test of the sometimes-maligned fish. Photo by Cory Byrnes, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Lake Majure discovered fishing the Trinity River below Downtown Dallas and has landed several big catfish and gar. Photo from Lake Majure.
Anglers have been catching white bass two at a time while fishing in 6-15 feet of water on Lake Livingston. Photo by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Rockport fishing report
For Lone Star outdoor newS
Over November’s third weekend, wade-fishermen caught good numbers of speckled trout in waist-deep water over grass using plas tics.
The water temperature had dropped as a cold front moved through, and an glers said the straight tail soft plastics worked the best, followed by ball tails. Pad dletails weren’t providing much action during the day, though.
Waders also caught goodsized redfish in shallow back lakes and near muddy shorelines, using the same plastics.
Some Copano Bay fisher men caught trout on topwater lures, saying the bone color seemed to be working the best.
Under the green lights fishing at night, small trout could be caught in large numbers, with a few keepers mixed in. Small bucktail jigs and smaller paddletail plastics were providing the nighttime action.
Anglers, some heading out after a morning duck hunt, were finding black drum willing to hit dead shrimp tipped with fish bites.
Focusing on snook
By Tony Vindell For Lone Star outdoor newS
As scores of wildlife enthusiasts are in pursuit of a dream white-tailed buck, from now until the middle of January others are seeking a different trophy.
That is, going after the fighting snook — a fish that seems to thrive in the warmer waters of Texas’ Lower Laguna Madre.
Charles Guillen and a couple of his buddies are among them.
Guillen has been targeting snook for the last seven years and has probably caught this fish more than redfish or speckled trout.
His tactics are simple — avoid crowded areas and fish at night.
Anglers can be seen there catching snook through the winter months using a variety of tactics, including live mullet, either on popping corks or free-lining, and lures of all sorts.
Guillen prefers to use soft Assassins and Yo-Zuri crystal minnows.
“I like to go places with not too many anglers,” Guillen said. “I go to the Brownsville Ship Channel, to the jetties and to South Bay.”
But most importantly, he prefers nighttime hours, usually after 9 p.m.
He avoids the Gayman Bridge, a popular spot for anglers off Texas Highway 48, including by members of a group called Los Snookeros del Valle, or the Snook Anglers from the Rio Grande Valley.
Wendlandt retires
Clark Wendlandt, who won three FLW Tour Angler of the Year titles and another Bassmaster title, announced his retirement from professional bass fishing.
“I’ve been doing it for 33 years,” he said. “I had a good career and just felt like it was time.”
The 58-year-old, from Leander, became the sixth man to hold angler of the year titles in both major circuits.
“Whenever I spot a snook swimming by, I throw the lure a little far and let it drift,” he said. “Once I feel a tug, I set the hook.”
Guillen said he believes the fish thinks it is off the hook — but the hook gets lodged on the side of the snook’s mouth.
He also likes to put a little ball close to a hook and let the fish follow it.
“It’s like a kitten following a ball around,” Guillen said.
He said he likes to fish right after a heavy rainfall, around structure and during incoming tides.
“Snook are fighting fish,” he said, “And they try to get away whenever they can.”
Guillen said he remembers the days when the daily bag of snook was five fish. Today, only one snook a day, measuring 24-28 inches, is permitted.
South Bay is the best place to catch snook currently, Guillen said, as the fish are in the shallower areas.
Wendlandt fished B.A.S.S. for the first decade of his career before moving to FLW, where he won four events, reached 18 championships and earned $2.2 million. He rejoined B.A.S.S. in 2019 and the following year won AOY. Wendlandt qualified for six Classics, had 27 Top 10s and earned almost $900,000. During his 2020 season, Wendlandt posted three Top 10s and held the lead in the seasonlong points race before heading into the finale in third place. At Lake Fork, Wendlandt landed a late catch to secure a three-point margin of victory and, at 54, become the oldest angler to win the Bassmaster AOY.
Fishing, hunting and family time are on Wendlandt’s to-do list. —B.A.S.S.
Wade-fisherman Dan Meyer, of Houston, hauls a stringer of fish to the boat after an afternoon wade in Aransas Bay on a warm sunny day.
Photo by Dean Meyer.
Photo by B.A.S.S.
Photo from Charles Guillen
TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT
ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 68 degrees; 0.49’ high. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.
AMISTAD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 65.75’ low. Largemouth bass are good on buzzbaits, poppers, chatter baits and spinner baits. White bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits and Alabama rigs.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 6.49’ low. Catfish are good on fresh cut shad.
ATHENS: Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.76’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms and weightless flukes. Crappie are slow.
AUSTIN: Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on flukes, divers and worms.
B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.43’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines.
BASTROP: Water stained; 89 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, worms and shaky heads.
BELTON: Water stained; 72 degrees; 2.25’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on fresh cut shad and punch bait.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 3.36’ low. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on chatter baits and Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.85’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and Texasrigged craws. Catfish are good on stink bait and chicken liver.
BOIS D’ARC: Water stained; 85 degrees; 3.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, frogs and Texas rigs.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 88 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Redfish are fair on live bait, shrimp, spoons and soft plastics.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 69 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, frogs and swimbaits. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on crankbaits. Catfish are fair on shad and liver.
BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 16.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Stripers are good on jigs, slabs and spoons. Catfish are good on cut shad and punch bait.
CADDO: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.03’ high.
Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, swimbaits and spinner baits.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained; 90 degrees. Redfish are fair on live bait, spoons and soft plastics. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.
CANYON: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 26.66’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and drop shots. Stripers are good on top-waters.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 71 degrees; 3.17’ low. Hybrids and white bass are fair on spinners and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 75 degrees; 32.51’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. White bass are good on spinner baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and grubs.
CONROE: Water stained; 76 degrees; 1.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on liver, worms and punch bait.
COOPER: Water stained; 75 degrees: 2.00’ low. Hybrids are good on live shad. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on shad.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 80 degrees; 11.41’ low. Catfish are good on live bait.
CYPRESS SPRINGS: Water stained; 71 degrees; 0.75’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits, spinner baits and swim jigs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on stink bait and chicken liver.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 70 degrees; 6.98’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.
FALCON: Water stained; 80 degrees; 45.43’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
FAYETTE: Water stained; 79 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits and top-waters. Catfish are good on cut shad.
good on top-waters. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs. White bass are fair on crankbaits or live shad.
GRANBURY: Water stained; 72 degrees; 1.34’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Striped bass are fair on live shad, trolling jigs and Alabama rigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on spoons. Catfish are good on shad and live perch.
GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.88’ low. White bass are good on swimbaits, slabs and jigs. Catfish are fair on shad.
GREENBELT: Water stained; 74 degrees; 50.40’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.23’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 77 degrees; 14.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Catfish are good on live bait or cut carp.
JACKSONVILLE: Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.09’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and swimbaits.
JOE POOL: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on small swimbaits. White bass are good on slabs.
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.82’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits, spinner baits and swim jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.
FORK: Water stained; 81 degrees; 2.14’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, crankbaits, and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
FT PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 77 degrees; 7.94’ low. Largemouth bass are
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 3.67’ low.
Largemouth bass are on good on spinner baits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait, liver and fresh chunks of shad.
LBJ: Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.33’ low. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 71 degrees; 2.71’ low. Largemouth bass are
good on jigs, spinner baits and crankbaits. White bass are fair on slabs, jigs and live bait. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
LIMESTONE: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 2.63’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on shad.
LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 1.60’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.
MARTIN CREEK: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.99’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless senkos and underspin swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.
MEREDITH: Water stained; 63 degrees; 48.57’ low. Largemouth bass are good on minnows and artificials. White bass are good on jigs and slabs. Walleye are good on minnows, grubs and other artificials. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, minnows and chicken liver.
MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 75 degrees; 2.19’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on perch and shad.
shad.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 17.86’ low. White bass are fair on spoons and slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs.
PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 69 degrees; 1.17’ low. Largmeouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 71 degrees; 2.32’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Stripers are fair on live bait. Sand bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad and stink bait.
PROCTOR: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.04’ high. Hybrids are good on swimbaits and slabs. Catfish are good on juglines.
RAVEN: Water lightly stained; 79 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, worms and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are fair on worms and stink bait.
RAY HUBBARD: Water lghtly stained; 79 degrees; 2.76’ low. White bass are fair on spinners and top-waters. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.17’ low. White bass are fair on live bait and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 72 degrees; 1.89’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and deep-diving crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and live minnows. Catfish are slow.
NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, squarebilled crankbaits and chatter baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees. 0.54’ low. Largemouth bass are fair 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; 75 degrees; 1.08’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut perch and shad.
O H IVIE: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 27.12’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on jigs and slabs. Catfish are good on stink bait and cut
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 72 degrees; 1.80’ low. White bass are slow. Hybrid stripers are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 2.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and top-water frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and minnows.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 74 degrees; 1.93’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Hybrids are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad and punch bait.
SPENCE: Water stained; 85 degrees. 46.00’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are fair on spoons and inline spinners. Catfish are slow.
STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.88’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigs. White bass are fair on slabs.
n Saltwater reports Page 24
TEXANA: Water stained; 80 degrees; 3.18’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow.
TEXOMA: Water stained; 66 degrees; 1.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. Stripers are good on live shad and top-waters. Catfish are good on cut shad.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 80 degrees; 4.51’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swim jigs, swimbaits, top-waters and frogs.
TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees; 42.08’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, fastmoving soft jerkbaits and wake baits.
TYLER: Water stained; 77 degrees; 0.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, crankbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on stink bait, liver and nightcrawlers.
WACO: Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.70’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs. White bass are good on small slabs, swimbaits and spoons. Hybrids are fair on swimbaits and spoons. Catfish are good on cut bait and live shad.
WALTER E LONG: Water stained; 74 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits, spinner baits, crankbaits and jerkbaits.
WHITNEY: Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.33’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.
WORTH: Water stained; 70 degrees; 3.06’ low. White bass are good on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 80 degrees; 4.37’ high. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 2.34’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, crankbaits,and soft plastics. Hybrid stripers and white bass are good on swimbaits and slab spoons. Catfish are good on cut bait.
Schooling reds
Continued from page 1
willing to strike top-waters and swimbaits.”
Uribe also found large schools of bull reds along the bottom in about 50 feet of water in the channel near Port Aransas.
“I found some dense concentrations of fish along the channel using side scan imaging on my electronics,” Uribe explained. “Then I put my trolling motor down and used forward facing sonar to position my boat within casting distance of them. I dropped a jig down to where the schools were staging and hooked up almost immediately. They were biting almost nonstop for over an hour, and I caught several in the 20- to 30-pound range.”
Uribe also made a run down towards Packery Flats and Shamrock Cove, where he found more bull reds and upper slot redfish feeding over shallow grass beds and sand pockets.
“The redfish were everywhere and they were hungry,” Uribe said.
Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay fishing guide, Capt. Ryan O’Keane, said his anglers are starting to encounter schools of redfish while wade-fishing for speckled trout.
“Now that things are beginning to cool off, we are seeing a much more consistent bite from redfish,” O’Keane said. “We are starting to catch more and more of them while looking for big trout.”
O’Keane said it’s not uncommon to find trophy-sized trout feeding along a flat, soon after a school or pod of redfish moves through.
“I always welcome the increased activity from redfish, because we usually start seeing more big trout feed in the same areas when they are present,” he said.
The reds have been in the mid- to upper-slot range, and on up to 33 inches or so. Soft plastics and suspending twitch baits have been drawing the most strikes.
Aransas Pass and Port Aransas guide, Capt. Aerich Oliver, said windblown shorelines have been producing consistent action, especially when the wind is blowing out of the north.
“Windy days have actually brought a better bite for me and my anglers than calm days have lately,” he said. “When it’s calm, the water gets really clear and the fish seem to be more finicky.”
The most consistent action has come from targeting potholes between grass beds with piggy perch, fished along the bottom in knee- to chest-deep stretches of water.
“The reds have been schooling up early in the mornings,” Oliver said. “Later in the day they have been more scattered.”
Eating the common carp
Continued from page 8
that the stewed version was the best, although she ranked the blackened carp as a close second.
“It’s spicy but it’s good,” Juliette said. “I would eat it again.”
The stewed carp seemed the most realistic to the testers.
“It looked the most like regular fish,” John Adams said. “It breaks off in big chunks and is flaky like I would expect a fish to be.”
Most testers agreed carp should not be cooked on the half shell like the blackened recipe had been prepared, as the skin seemed to give the fish a gamey taste.
Overall, everyone ultimately could see why the common carp doesn’t win any culinary popularity contests. All agreed, though, that they would eat it if it was served and prepared correctly.
“People should give it a try,” Perez said. “They might be surprised.”
Carp stew
• 2 pounds carp
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
Mince onion, bay leaf, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Brown the onions and garlic. Cut the carp into pieces and place in the hot oil. Sear both sides for 1-3 minutes. Remove carp from the pan and set aside. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Stir and cook the sauce until it is fully incorporated. Add the carp back in. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low fire.
Blackened carp with lemon butter sauce
• 2 (1-pound) carp fillets, skin on
• 1 tbsp. ground black peppercorn
• 1/2 tbsp. ground smoked salt
• 1 tbsp. sweet mesquite rub
• 1 tbsp. lemon pepper
• 1 tbsp. blackened rub
• 1/2 cup lemon olive oil
• 3 tbsps. melted butter (non-salted)
• 2 lemons
Grilling your carp with the skin side down on a clean, hot grill can help prevent your fish from sticking to the grill grates. Grill until fish flakes with a fork, about 20 minutes.
VETERAN’S DAY FISHING TRIP
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Texas game wardens from Brazoria, Chambers and Matagorda counties joined Galveston Elks Lodge #126 for a Veteran’s fishing trip. Aboard the F/V Cavalier, 48 veterans ventured to the jetties and reeled in red drum and gafftopsail catfish. After the trip, the Elks Lodge provided lunch and game wardens served it.
STOLEN ATV, REWARD OFFERED
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers
Association Special Ranger Marvin Wills reported a yellow, 2019 Honda TRX ATV stolen from a property off Oglesby Road, in McGregor. The ATV was stolen between Oct. 8-9. Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact the Operation Cow Thief tip line at (817) 916-1775.
SEA HONORS SAN PATRICIO COUNTY WARDEN
San Patricio County Game Warden Kevin Mitchell was recognized as the 2024 Saltwater-fisheries
Enhancement Association - SEA Officer of the Year. Mitchell graduated from McNeese State University with
OUTDOOR BLOTTER
HELICOPTER PILOT, CREW HONORED FOR FLOOD EFFORTS
During flooding in Newton County earlier this year, the helicopter crew of Robert Mitchell, pilot, Tyler Stoikes, pilot serving as tactical flight officer and Michael Serbanik, game warden and rescue swimmer, responded to a report of an adult man trapped on top of a tractor-trailer with waters rising. They conducted a successful hoist rescue. Shortly thereafter, the crew picked up and transported a pregnant woman who was scheduled to deliver by C-section the next day, and also located the heat signature of a man involved in flooding from his original call and guided ground units to the man. The crew received a Director’s Citation Award from TPWD.
a degree in wildlife management.
In 2004, he was accepted into the 50th Texas Game Warden Academy class and has served in San Patricio County since 2008. His values of conservation and going above and beyond in demonstrating his dedication to the Coastal Bend community were cited as reasons for the award.
GAME WARDEN APPLICATIONS OPEN
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is now accepting applications for the 68th Game Warden and State Park
Police class. As fully commissioned peace officers, game wardens and park police officers are tasked with enforcing all Texas criminal laws. Additionally, their responsibilities extend beyond the pavement as they safeguard Texas’ natural resources by enforcing hunting and fishing regulations, patrolling waterways, and ensuring that millions of visitors and residents can safely enjoy the outdoors. The application period is open through December 15. Applicants must be at least 21
years old by the start of the academy and have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field of study by May 31, 2025. They must also pass a comprehensive background check, a psychological evaluation and complete a physical readiness test that includes handgun stability, a 2,000-meter row and a swim test.
WARDEN ALLISON RECEIVES LIFESAVING AWARD
On July 4, Denton County Game
Warden Kyle Allison and his partner responded to a medical call on Lake Lewisville for a man who had suffered a boat propeller strike. After locating the boat, Allison boarded with his medical kit, assessed the situation and applied two tourniquets to the victim’s right thigh to control the bleeding. He kept the injured man calm, covered him to reduce shock and coordinated the boat’s transfer to shore, where EMS awaited. The Little Elm Fire Department Battalion Chief commended Allison’s decisive actions, noting they were “essential to the victim only losing his leg and not his life.” Allison graduated from the Texas Game Warden Academy in 2012, serving Zapata County before transferring to Denton County in 2016. In October 2024, Allison was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and became one of the instructors at the Texas Game Warden Training Center. Allison also is a long-time volunteer with Dallas Safari Club and is a board member of the organization. Allison received a Director’s Life Saving Award from the department.
Remember when a hunter was measured by how well he shot, and not how much he spent? When memories were measured in curly tails, not dollar bills? We do. And that is why we created the Spandau S2. A reliable, extremely well balanced waterfowl gun built around the Inertia operating system for unmatched performance at a price that shows that you still know the true measure of a hunter.
GRIP & GRIN
While fishing on a pier at night near Rockport, James Richards sight-cast dead shrimp to this big black drum and had a great fight trying to keep it from breaking off on the pier’s post.
Ruben Gonzales caught this 26-inch black drum on Baffin Bay, using shrimp for bait.
Good scouting led Liam Kohleffel, of Boerne, to this nice 7-point buck that is currently leading the Los Cazadores Deer Contest in the Hill Country youth division.
Viviana Cantu caught this 23 1/2-inch speckled trout on a Gulp in the Lower Laguna Madre.
Graham Gardner, 9, of Splendora, got his first crossbow buck after grunt calling in this 11-point buck in Centerville.
while hunting in Willacy County on some family property. The buck’s spikes were 11 inches and 11.5 inches long, respectively.
“When I first saw the spike on camera, I wasn’t sure that it was a whitetail at first to be honest,” Vindell said. “It looked more like some sort of exotic antelope — I had never seen a whitetail spike with antlers that long before.”
Vindell really thought the deer was unique and hunted hard for him with his bow during archery season, but his efforts were to no avail. He recently made a sit in a rifle blind when the spike stepped out of the brush.
“The spike didn’t come in to the feeder,” Vindell said. “He just stepped out into a sendero that I had corned and started eating among several does. I took my shot and was able to finally harvest him.”
Chance Turney is another bowhunter
who was determined to harvest a unique buck. Turney had been watching the deer the past couple of seasons on his family property in Hood County and had always considered him more of a cull buck because he had such a lopsided, or uneven frame.
“His left side was always impressive, but his right side was fairly weak in past seasons,” Turney said. “However, this season the deer made some serious gains. He had 14 points and ended up scoring approximately 154 inches.”
The buck virtually disappeared for the majority of October during bow season.
“I finally got lucky, and the deer showed up while I was in the stand,” Turney said. “He gave me a shot at about 27 yards away. The buck fell within 20 yards or so of where he was standing when my arrow hit him.”
The deer, Turney’s best, is the largest buck taken on Turney’s family property so far.
Tony Vindell Jr took this 11-inch, rare-looking spike while hunting in Willacy County. Photo from Tony Vindell.
consisting of green-winged teal, wood ducks, mallards and gadwall, and they saw a few groups of other ducks flying around in the distance.
While hunters near Hubbard saw few ducks, guide Ricky Talkington said his hunters enjoyed decent shoots on opening weekend near Chatfield, in Navarro County.
“We had bluebird skies and there was zero wind to speak of, but there were a decent amount of birds flying,” Talkington said. “It wasn’t hot and heavy by any means, but there were steady flights of ducks throughout each morning.”
“Each morning we saw 10 to 15 groups of ducks with over 50 birds in them, traveling real high in the sky as if they were migrating down to locales farther south,” Talkington said. “The birds that did work over the ponds we hunted decoyed fairly well.”
Roger Roewe said his waterfowl hunters harvested quite a few ducks while hunting specklebellies in corn and wheat stubble in the Haskell and Rochester areas. Mallards, pintail, wigeon and even a few wood ducks were in the mix.
“The ducks were hitting the fields hard right at legal shooting light, and then they continued to trickle in with the geese after sunrise,” Roewe said. “There were also good numbers of ducks on a few of our ponds. It was a really good opener, especially with the mild weather.”
Buck before baby
Continued from page 4 went off, it scared them away, but they came back.”
Amber was given the green light by Marino at the smaller buck, now outside of the feeder pen, and she liked the buck.
“He was what I was looking for — real pretty with tall antlers,” she said.
After waiting for a fallow doe to clear and make room for the shot, Amber made a great shot.
“He went about 15 yards,” she said.
Amber thought about her and Danny’s 6-year-old daughter and the son soon on the way.
“She shot her second buck this year, a 9-pointer,” Amber said. “And now we have a son coming to share all of this with.”
The couple was thrilled with their hunt at 3 Amigos.
“The property is beautiful and they were wonderful hosts,” Amber said. “And the food was great.”
They took the deer to Ray’s Wild Game Processing, and have plans for the meat.
“Our construction company is donating the meat to a family in need,” Amber said.
When they got home, they immediately loaded up and headed to their Eastland County lease where, last year, Amber shot her first 10-pointer.
The morning of Nov. 16, they didn’t see any deer.
“We’ll be back in the blind this evening and tomorrow morning,” Amber said.
A variety of species, including wigeon, came into the decoys in Navarro County on opening day. Photo by Ricky Talkington.
LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER
ACROSS
2) Travis County’s seat
4) North Texas river
9) Rifle brand
10) One of the cats
11) The deer’s best sense
12) Shotshell brand
13) Group of hippos
14) A food plot favorite 17) Hunting TV host 23) A Great Lake 24) Fishing line material
25) The tom’s chest hair 27) Corsicana’s county
28) East Texas lake
31) White bass lure
32) The bluebill
34) Central Texas lake
36) Elk hunters’ org.
38) The white goose
39) Salmon species
40) Crankbait brand
41) Shot size used by quail hunters
43) Organ eaten by deer hunters
44) Worm rigging style
45) Fort Bend County’s seat
46) Trout species
Sales group hired
Patriot Ordnance Factory Inc. retained H&G Outdoors as its sales representative group.
Marketing manager at Lancer
Molly Teutimez was named the new sales and marketing manager of Lancer Systems.
Positions at Trik Fish
Trik Fish, a provider of fishing lines and leaders, is looking for sales reps in 17 states.
Holm named marketing director
Leica appointed Ryan Holm as director of marketing for sport optics.
Hires at Winchester Safes
Winchester Safes named Stevie Barefield as the new director of marketing and Ainsley Mitchell as digital media specialist.
Electric outboards at Yamaha dealers
Select Torqeedo electric outboards are now available for purchase at full-line Yamaha dealerships.
Agency for GForce Arms
GForce Arms hired Blue August as its public and media relations agency.
Mountain States to rep Charter Arms
Charter Arms hired Mountain States Sports Marketing Inc. as its sales agency of record for the Western regions of the United States.
Position at WU
Whitetails Unlimited is seeking a part-time field director in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Virginias.
An African antelope
Montgomery County’s seat
One of the quail
Turkey call type 8) Inline spinner bait brand
Sinker type
15) The cold front’s wind
16) Common oak in West Texas 18) Group of camels
19) Kingsville’s county 20) Ammo brand 21) Fishing line type 22) Bass ambush spot 26) Fishing TV host
29) Bass tournament series
30) Hunting boot brand
33) North America’s fastest animal
34) Border lake
35) Amarillo’s county
37) Shotgun brand
42) The female duck
47) The female red stag DOWN 1) A mallard favorite
Venison and Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 lb. ground venison
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup finely
1
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Mix sausage, venison, breadcrumbs, egg, cheese and green onion in a large bowl. Set aside. Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Place about a tablespoon of meat mixture into the cap of each mushroom, and place in a cooking dish. Cook about 45 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked and the mushrooms are soft.
—Arkansas GFC
Striped bass fillets
oil
potatoes
Bay seasoning
ozs. clam juice 2 yellow onions, chopped 1/2
Striped bass chowder
Boil potatoes for 20 minutes. Place fillets pieces on a tinfoil-lined cookie sheet. Set oven to broil. Sprinkle fillets with Old Bay seasoning. Broil fish, about 7 minutes. In a separate pot on medium-low heat, melt butter, then add onions. Remove potatoes from boiling water and cube. Add wine to pot and reduce, about 1 minute. Add clam juice and potatoes to pot. Add half n’ half, salt and pepper, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add dash of Old Bay seasoning, thyme and
Sprinkle parsley over soup before serving with oyster crackers. —Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Duck hunters for life
Continued from page 4
study, said her first duck was a redhead.
“It was my first time shooting an animal of any kind,” she said. “I didn’t know how I would feel about it. But it was exciting.”
Garza, of Rio Grande City, shot a redhead on her first shot. She had hunted dove before, but never ducks.
Four new hunters were graduate students — one studying ocelots, another mountain lions, and two were involved in quail research. A few had hunted deer and a few more had been on dove hunts, but none had hunted waterfowl.
The morning greeted each of the blinds with redheads flying overhead from the north and heading into the marsh, and plenty of other species working into the decoys.
At the Port Bay Club, the day turned out what managers said was the best so far this season, with a total of around 50 ducks brought into the picking house.
And the guides and managers commented on how each of the students were extremely safe, especially in their gun-handling skills. It turned out, they had all gone on a skeetshooting outing as part of the program.
Cody Krupala, of La Grange, said his first duck was a green-winged teal hen.
“I got six ducks today,” he said.
George Cheney, of Cookson, Oklahoma, also shot his six-duck limit.
“It’s a really rewarding part of conservation and it’s something I want to get a part of in my future,” he said.
All of the new hunters were interested in how the ducks were cleaned and, at the campfire, asked about cooking the birds.
Guides and more experienced hunters shared the best recipe sites and social media pages.
At the end of the trip, all of the students said they plan to hunt again.
“I’m probably going to go again this weekend,” one of the graduate students said.
To learn more, visit lsonfoundation.org.
Twelve wildlife management students were hosted by Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation on their first duck hunt as part of Delta Waterfowl’s University Hunting Program. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
VERMONT
Moose harvest
The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department issued 180 moose hunting permits this year, resulting in 62 moose harvested between the Oct. 1-7 archery season and the Oct.19-24 regular season. Moose hunting was only allowed in Wildlife Management Unit E in northeastern Vermont.
—VFWD
MONTANA
Sheep conservation donations from WSF
For its fiscal year 2024-25, the Wild Sheep Foundation will direct $1.6 Million in GrantIn-Aid funding for wild sheep conservation and management projects, largely requested through its chapter and affiliate network.
Twenty-two projects from the Yukon to Mexico, Arizona to Nebraska, and internationally in Central Asia were awarded grants. The largest single grant is $215,000 to help finance the continuation of a multi-year, tri-state, comprehensive disease surveillance/management project in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
—WSF
FLORIDA
Right to Hunt and Fish approved
Nearly 7 million Floridians voted favorably on Amendment 2 to the state’s constitution to ensure that the time-honored sporting traditions of Floridians as well as the future of sciencebased wildlife management through the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation are protected for generations to come.
Amendment 2 received 67.3 percent of the vote, exceeding the 60% percent required to be adopted.
This amendment does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
—Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
COLORADO
Big cat proposed hunting ban defeated
In a decisive victory, Coloradoans rejected Proposition 127, a measure intended to remove the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s ability to manage mountain lion and bobcat populations based on scientific management practices. Last year, an anti-hunting group established itself in Colorado and filed a petition to place an initiative on the Colorado ballot this year that would prohibit large cat hunting.
CALIFORNIA
Potential world-record yellowfin
Aboard the long-range sportfishing vessel Excel, on a 10-Day Trip out of San Diego, Earl Gill IV possibly made history by hooking and landing a 448-pound yellowfin tuna — a fish that could set a new International Game Fishing Association world record.
The yellowfin was hooked using chunk bait on 100-pound test. The angler relied on a shoulder harness to endure the hours-long fight to bring the giant aboard.
The current IGFA record is 427 pounds.
MICHIGAN
Five-dollar deer
Due to overpopulation, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources authorized an extended late antlerless firearms season for select counties in the southern part of the state. The new season, which will run from Jan. 2-12, 2025, has a bag limit of 10 deer at the discounted rate of $5 per license, and remaining unused tags from earlier seasons may be used. Licenses will go on sale in December.
Big fish in the city
Majure uses both of his new fish ing experiences to catch big catfish and gar.
“I fly-fish Turtle Creek and catch bream,” he said. “At the river, I put a hook in them and toss them out there with a bobber.”
Majure usually fishes evenings, often on the weekends.
“I catch mostly gar because I tar get them the most,” he said. “I catch all the different types, but mostly the longnose gar, usually fishing about 6 feet deep. When I target cat fish — they tend to be on the bot tom — I catch more numbers.”
Majure said the fish at the creek and from the river aren’t on his list of fish to eat.
“Some of them look a little weird,” he said. “I don’t eat them. I do figure out which drainage tunnels are the bad ones and fish above them.”
Majure also sustained a chemical burn while fishing.
“The mud and silt gets really deep after it rains,” he said. “One day, I caught a gar when I was fishing alone. I sunk down to my knees but got the gar in, but I left mud on my legs for 30 minutes before going to the car and washing off. Then my skin was peeling off my feet. I called my brother who is a doctor, and he said it probably was a chemical burn. It kind of freaked me out.”
Majure’s biggest gar was a 5-foot, 9-inch fish, and he has caught some large cats.
“You lose a lot of hooks fishing for the catfish,” he said. “There are trees on the bottom and the cats hide underneath.”
The angler plans to give the carp and smallmouth buffalo in the river a shot.
“I see buffalo all the time,” he said.
Majure, who now lives in Mesquite, works in Fort Worth at Lockheed, but only has to commute a few days each week. Now married (at the courthouse), a ceremony is planned at the Carribean island of St. Thomas in a few weeks.
His wife actually has fished the river with him, but more when they were dating.
“She used to come a few times, but not so much anymore,” he said. “She gets a little nervous down there.”
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Lake Majure is willing to get muddy to land catfish and gar below the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Downtown Dallas.
Photo from Lake Majure.
SABINE LAKE: 80 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair on live shrimp under a popping cork.
BOLIVAR: 77 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp. Large croaker, sand trout and black drum are good on dead shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: 78 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 78 degrees. Redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp.
GALVESTON BAY: 78 degrees. Redfish, black drum and speckled trout are fair on live shrimp.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: 79 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are good on live shrimp.
TEXAS CITY: 77 degrees. Bull redfish and oversized black drum are fair on cracked crab and cut bait. Speckled trout, redfish, and black drum are fair on live shrimp and finger mullet.
FREEPORT: 78 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp. Sheepshead and mangrove snapper are fair on live and dead shrimp.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 73 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics, top-waters and live shrimp under a popping cork.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 73 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on soft plastics and live shrimp under a popping cork and top-waters.
PORT O’CONNOR: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp. Redfish are fair on Spanish sardines and blue crab. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.
SAN ANTONIO BAY: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp. Redfish are good on mullet. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.
ROCKPORT: 79 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on piggy perch. Redfish are good on shrimp, piggy perch, cut skipjack and mullet. Black drum are good on live and dead shrimp.
REDFISH BAY: 79 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on piggy perch. Black drum are slow.
PORT ARANSAS: 79 degrees. Redfish are good on silver spoons, shrimp and cut mullet. Speckled trout are good on piggy perch and shrimp free-lined. Black drum are good on shrimp.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 79 degrees. Redfish are good on piggy perch. Speckled trout are fair on live bait. Black drum are slow.
BAFFIN BAY: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are good on suspending twitch baits, topwaters and soft plastics. Redfish are fair on soft plastics.
PORT MANSFIELD: 80 degrees. Redfish are fair on soft plastics and top-waters. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics and top-waters.
SOUTH PADRE: 80 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on live shrimp and soft plastics. Black drum are fair on shrimp. Mangrove snapper and sheepshead are fair on live shrimp.
DATEBOOK
DECEMBER 3
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Store Sale and Packing Party
DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800
biggame.org
DECEMBER 5
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
DSC 100 Volunteer Party
Southwest Gallery (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
DELTA WATERFOWL
Southeast Texas Banquet Bowers Civic Center, Port Arthur (409) 273-1792 deltawaterfowl.org
HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB FOUNDATION
Christmas Party The Barn, Cypress (713) 623-8844 hscfdn.org
DECEMBER 7
FORT WORTH SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
Christmas Party Fort Worth T&P Station fortworthsafariclub.org
JANUARY 9-12
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Convention & Sporting Expo
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
For more info (361) 244-0544 or (361) 443-9330
(817) 999-1395
RENO EQUIPMENT/ RIO GRANDE PIPE
Our companies sell structural pipe in several sizes, from small pipe for gates, to standard sizes for fencing, on up to the larger sizes for H-braces, barn legs and even culverts. We stock pipe sizes from 1” to 20”, we even have heavy weight and thick wall pipe in several sizes for heavy duty projects. We also sell an assortment of other equipment, currently we have some surplus tanks (8400gal, steel, 12’w x 7’h), some tinhorn/culvert material (from 4’dia x 6’-10’L to 16’dia x 10’-20’L), 18’ & 20’ gooseneck tandem single trailers, and some cattle guards. Contact Josh Brown at (505)-366-3428, or Cody Hudson at (575)-441-1186.
JANUARY 10-12
TEXAS TROPHY HUNTERS ASSOCIATION/ SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL Outdoors Extravaganza Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas outdoorsextraganza.com
JANUARY 16-18
WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION
The Sheep Show Reno-Sparks Convention Center Reno, Nevada (406) 404-8750 wildsheepfoundation.org
JANUARY 16-19
HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB FOUNDATION
Annual Convention The Woodlands Waterway Marriott (713) 623-8844 hscfdn.org
JANUARY 18
BASS CHAMPS
Tournament 1
Sam Rayburn Reservoir Umphrey Pavilion (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com
JANUARY 22-25
SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
Annual Hunters’ Convention Music City Center Nashville, Tennessee safariclub.org
1,760 ACRES FOR SALE
HUNTING AND CATTLE RANCH LOCATED IN SW OK, NEAR WELLINGTON, TX STACEY GREB (580) 678-0662
UNITED COUNTRY HEARD AUCTION & REAL ESTATE
HUNT SOUTH TEXAS
All native game 350 acres near Freer Fully equipped ranch house with satellite TV Prices start at 150.00 per person per day Your choice of trophy buck, 2500.00 References (361) 947-0584
(817) 597-0129
OUTDOORS CHIROPRACTIC DOCTOR
Hunter Fritz, D.C. Serving North Texas Call or Book Online Hunter@kineticcentre.com (214) 618-0324, (214) 546-7613
