By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
On a sunny day with light to moderate winds on the Lower Laguna Madre, flyangler Mike Wallace accomplished the rarest of feats. He caught and released a pair of 30-inch speckled trout.
Wallace was fishing out of Port Mansfield with Capt. Ben Paschal. Paschal said
By Meghan Olivia Jackson
For Lone Star outdoor newS
Imagine being part of a family who embraces hunting traditions. It’s every hunter’s dream — especially on Thanksgiving Day.
As a former member of the women’s golf team at the University of Texas at Austin, to white-tailed deer hunting in South Texas, spending time outdoors is Bentley Cotton’s passion.
“I was born in Austin in 2001 and have lived here my whole life,” Cotton said. “Our first ranch was in Kingsland and then in 2006, my father, Jimbo Cotton, joined a ranch in Freer by the name of Rancho Venado Grande.”
To know South Texas is to love it, and when you get a taste of the white-tailed deer hunting opportunities, you can’t help but make it a Thanksgiving tradition. Since 2017, Cotton said Thanksgiving weekend is reserved for chasing big bucks.
“I am not sure who started it exactly, but
the day started out like just about any other trip he and Wallace had shared over the past decade of fishing together. He ran to an area he typically targets for redfish, and immediately started seeing good numbers of speckled trout.
“We were poling in about a foot of water over a flat with grass beds and scattered sand pockets and potholes,” Pas-
it was definitely a product of wanting to be at the ranch as many weekends as possible,” she said. “Last year, at the end of October, I started hunting a deer we had named Spider because of how his horns twisted like a web. The day after Thanksgiving, the chase came to an end.”
As an avid bowhunter since 2014, Cotton said this hunt was extra special, not only because it was a unique deer and difficult chase, but because of who she spent it with.
“Having my family and friends down there made this trip special because they got to see the deer and witness my raw excitement,” she said.
For Andrea Hartley, she credits her friends for introducing her to the hunting lifestyle.
“For the last several years, I’ve always made it a point to be outdoors for Thanksgiving,” Hartley said. “Whether it’s an early duck hunt or a 4-day trip to the deer lease, we have made it a tradition. This year, we attempted to fulfill one of my dream hunts looking for a turkey.
chal said. “It was one of those days where the conditions were perfect for sight-casting with a fly rod. The water was clear, there were few clouds in the sky, visibility was excellent and the wind was manageable. I quickly noticed quite a few large trout up in the shallows, and knew right away our focus for the day was going to be on catching big trout.”
Wallace said he could tell by Paschal’s attitude and demeanor that the trip had the potential to be pretty special.
“Paschal was spotting so many large trout from the poling platform that he told me not to even cast at any redfish in range,” Wallace said. “It’s not every day that you just pass up easy shots at redfish with a fly rod, so I knew he felt like the
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
Finley Battistoni recently harvested her first deer, a 10-point buck, on her family’s ranch in Edwards County while hunting with her dad and younger brother.
The 9-year-old was headed to the blind in the early afternoon with her dad and 3-year-old brother when they walked up on some does feeding along the edge of
some cedar trees in the field.
The trio froze in their tracks to try to avoid spooking the does, hoping a buck might be following them.
A few moments later, a buck came out of the cedars and the does ran off. Apparently exhausted from chasing the does, the buck laid down almost immediately at the edge of the cedar brush in some tall grass — about 70 yards away.
“We got down low to the ground as soon
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By Mike Bodenchuk
For Lone Star outdoor newS
In the 1970s and early 1980s, raccoon fur prices were relatively high — $25-$30 for a large pelt — and Texas raccoons were the standard for color.
Most raccoon pelts were shipped overseas, including to the old Soviet Union, where fur kept the people warm in the cold winters. Now, 40 years later, embargoed exports to Russia has dropped the price of a raccoon pelt. Even if you can find a fur buyer, you’ll be lucky to get $5 for an extra-large pelt.
But raccoons can do a tremendous amount of damage- raiding deer feeders, depredating turkey and quail nests and damaging hunting camp buildings. Landowners and deer hunters interested in removing raccoons should target raccoons from December through January to maximize impact.
Raccoon biology is fairly simple — the animals are not territorial and you can have as many raccoons in an area as you have available food. Deer feeders often supplant natural food and raccoons concentrate on feeders at this time of year. The majority of raccoons breed in February and March with young born in April and May. Once breeding season is over, raccoon movement slows down considerably, making December and January the best time to remove them.
Raccoons don’t hibernate, but during periods of extreme cold, they will hole up in a hollow tree or abandoned ranch building (or your deer camp) for days at a time without moving. The combination of cold nights and relatively warm days make these the perfect months to trap raccoons.
Modern foothold traps have evolved significantly and the creation of raccoon-specific “Dog Proof” (DP) traps has revolutionized raccoon trapping. DPs are a metal cylinder set above ground with an attractive food placed inside. A trigger is also inside the trap and when the raccoon puts its front paw into the cylinder to get the bait, the trigger activates a metal loop which holds the coon’s foot against the side of the cylinder. There are no jaws on a DP trap and the raccoon cannot bite at its foot once caught because it’s enclosed in the cylinder. While the traps may capture a skunk or an opossum (both of which are also nest predators) the DPs exclude other nontarget animals and can be used near deer feeders, around waterholes and even around camp buildings. Because raccoons have a wide diet, you can consider a lot of different types of bait.
By Mike Bodenchuk For Lone Star outdoor newS
Bighorn sheep conservation in Texas moved a step forward on Dec. 4 when 77 sheep from Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area were released into Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso. This is the first time desert bighorn sheep have been in the Franklin Mountains since
their extirpation in the early 1900s. The effort is especially important, as sheep populations in other mountains in Texas have recently declined due to diseases.
The sheep were captured by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department via helicopter net gun crews. The technique involves firing a net at selected individual sheep from a lowflying helicopter. A ground
crew then restrains the sheep and they are swing-loaded under the helicopter for a quick transport to a processing center.
Once at the center, biologists and wildlife veterinarians give the sheep a thorough health check and mark the sheep with ear tags and add a radio collar to each sheep. These sheep were then loaded into one of seven trailers and
hauled from the WMA south of Alpine to the park on the west side of El Paso for a public release event.
The desert sun was approaching the western horizon as each of the trailers was backed into place, the trailer door pointed at the mountain. Each trailer had separate compartments to hold the sheep safely while in transport. Bighorn ewes and young rams
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
More geese are beginning to migrate south after cold weather arrived in the northern states and provinces. Goose hunters have enjoyed success in various regions of the state, while others are crossing their fingers that more birds are on the way.
Keith Blahuta, a guide at Red Bluff Prairie Hunting Club, said geese outnumber ducks on the Garwood Prairie currently. He’s been seeing good numbers of both snow geese and specklebellies, and said the birds have been decoying fairly well.
“More geese are showing up with each passing front,” Blahuta said. “There’s a lot of rice on the ground and it’s been relatively dry, so the grain hasn’t spoiled from moisture. The birds have been able to bounce around from various fields.”
Blahuta said their goose hunts have consisted of decent groups of snows, with 30-40 birds working in low over the decoys at one time.
“The specks have been in smaller groups, but they have been playing nice,” he said. “There’s a lot of young birds around, including both snows and specks, which is something we haven’t seen in this part of the world in a while.”
Chris Slemp also has been chasing
geese in the Garwood Prairie area, where he said the numbers of geese are continuing to build each day. Slemp and his hunters have had some great shoots for geese in corn fields recently.
“We used to always have geese hitting corn fields through the first half of December, 10-12 years ago,” Slemp said.
“That’s not something that I’ve seen in recent years, but it seems that this season they’ve gone somewhat back to their oldschool ways. It’s been fun.”
Slemp’s hunters have been harvesting a fair amount of young snows and whitefronted geese on their hunts. He’s been running spreads with full-body goose
By Cory Byrnes
For Lone Star outdoor
The Bingham sons, Daniel and David, were introduced to hunting at a young age by their father, Torrey, and now apply the hunting skills they learned on the lease to hunts on public land.
“My dad was invited to join a deer lease by an old college roommate,” Dan iel said. “They hunted in a pretty traditional way with a box blind with a corn feeder. We saw deer in the woods, but they weren’t coming out to the feeder. So Torrey got a climbing stand to take the fight to them.”
The brothers, both of the Conroe area, ended up learning about deer biology, how they use terrain, bedding areas and food sources.
“What’s funny is that after a while we were seeing deer that the other guys never saw even on their game cameras,” Daniel said. “Unfortunately, the paper company sold the land and we didn’t have a lease anymore.”
The pair had always heard that Texas public land wasn’t good for hunting, and you run the risk of other hunters ruining your hunt. What they found was that it was not much different from what they were doing on the lease.
“The only difference is you couldn’t use a 4-wheeler to get to your stand — you had to hike it in,” Daniel said.
Their father decided to spend more time hunting this year in the Sam Houston National Forest.
“We had some game cameras out, in fact the very morning David shot his big one he was about 3/4 of a mile from me. I heard the shot and he texted me saying it was a big one.”
David’s hunt started with him going into a new area that they had e-scouted. It had some good pinch points and was between bedding and feeding areas. In the dark, he came across some good sign and decided to set up on a tree there.
“About 10 minutes after he got set up a doe walked right under David,” Daniel said. David had two deer encounters before sunrise and knew it was going to be a good hunt.
Please turn to page 23
After an extensive search, Dallas Safari Club announced the hiring of Rob McCanna as its Chief Executive Officer.
With 35 years experience in the shooting sports and outdoor industry, including nearly 20 years in executive level roles, McCanna will bring an immediate impact to DSC. Prior to serving as president of ORCA Coolers, McCanna was employed for approximately 17 years by Remington Outdoor Company, serving in several upper-level roles. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Walther Arms, Inc.
“Our search team that led the process of Rob’s hire unanimously agreed that Rob is not only the right person for the job, but we feel with his industry experience and proven success as an executive-level leader, combined with his commitment to excellence, this represents a blockbuster hire,” said DSC President Ray Mulholland.
McCanna also will serve as the CEO for DSC Foundation. Russell Stacy, president of DSCF, expressed his excitement about the recent hire.
“These are exciting times for our foundation as we welcome Rob,” Stacy said. “His ability to foster valuable relationships within our industry, combined with his strong leadership skills and unwavering commitment to the purpose of DSC Foundation, will undoubtedly drive us to greater achievements and a brighter future.”
DSC is currently experiencing tremendous organizational growth, including increasing its Chapter footprint to 23 chapters, increasing revenues and membership and an elevated grants program deploying millions of dollars over the last few years.
“With DSC, I’m extremely excited to have an opportunity at this stage of my career to work with dedicated staff, membership, volunteers, and industry partners, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of working with this collective group to take DSC to new heights,” McCanna said. “When I started my career in the shooting sports industry, it was for the love of hunting and being able to bring new people, young and old, into that world. Now, 35 years later, that passion remains, but I’ve also grown to better understand and appreciate the role that hunting plays in conservation of wildlife. I’m fortunate to now be serving in a professional role with an organization that makes a difference for hunting and conservation.”
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star outdoor newS
At the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation’s Wild Game Night, Ethan Hirschy and his father bought a packet of raffle tickets.
The new hunter, who had been on his first hunt last year with the foundation and shot a buck and doe, heard his ticket number called. He won a duck hunt at the Port Bay Hunting Club, in Rockport.
Hirschy, a vice president of sales at Midway Press, the company that prints Lone Star Outdoor News and multiple other publications, was excited about the chance to hunt something new, and drove to Rockport in November with his friend, Ulysses.
Although the pair were told to bring waders, they were still under-equipped when they arrived late at night before their morning hunt, since they didn’t have camo clothing. When it came to shotguns, Hirschy had a single-shot shotgun and a tactical shotgun.
The people at Port Bay Club came to the rescue, getting them the camo they needed and a different gun.
“Your guide will show you how to operate it,” they said.
Next, they were on the water and headed to the blind in the marsh.
“On our first hunt, we shot a pintail and a hooded merganser,” Hirschy said. “And one more duck, but I can’t remember what it was.”
That afternoon, they had a little more action.
“We made some good shots,” Hirschy said. “A flock of redheads came over and all three of us got one. That was really cool.”
The pair bagged two gadwall on their final hunt.
After each hunt, the two were highly interested in the cleaning process, and discussed how they would cook the birds. One hunter gave them an additional duck to add to their upcoming meals.
“I roasted two of them the week I got back,” Hirschy said. “It was a simple recipe in the oven — I did some research and everything said not to overcook them. They were really good.”
Hirschy, who is tentatively planning a hog hunt this winter, said he looks forward
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Matt Taylor and his 11-year-old son, Wade, recently had a fishing trip on East Matagorda Bay that most dream about. They found redfish schooling in water so shallow that their backs were out of the water, and the feeding frenzy lasted for two hours. They sight-casted to reds until their arms were tired and left the fish
A cold front had passed through overnight and there was a steady north wind blowing at about 15 miles per hour. The pair started out wade-fishing along the north shoreline in about knee-deep water, and found small pods of redfish feeding over a muddy flat along the bank.
“The fish we came across at our first spot were eating pretty good, but there just didn’t seem to be a whole lot of them there,” Taylor said. “I caught a couple on top-waters, but the action died quickly.”
The father and son made a move to the mouth of a marsh drain along the south shoreline of East Matagorda.
“With a north wind blowing and the tide falling out, I thought there might be some fish feeding along the mouths
By Cory Byrnes
Those seeking crappie limits are hopping from spot to spot on many Texas lakes to catch numbers of the fish.
On Sam Rayburn Reservoir, guide Bryant Clark said the bite has settled back into its normal rhythm after the high-water levels earlier in the year. In the mornings, minnows have been working well, but he said the after noon bite has been on jigs in bright colors, like chartruese.
“Stay focused on brush piles in about 15 feet of water,” Clark said. “As we get closer to Janu ary, they will start moving to the creeks. They will be shallower and jigs will entice more bites.”
On Lake Buchanan, guide Jess Rotherham said fishing has been fair.
“The crappie are transitioning from deep to shallow and are spread out,” he said. “To catch a limit you will have to move around from brush pile to brush pile and the mouth of creeks. I have been finding them in about 12 feet of water.“
Rotherham said the jig bite has been better than live bait.
“Use bright-colored jigs and keep moving until you find them to be successful,” he said. Lake LBJ has good numbers of young crappie.
“The flood from a few years ago really affected the lake, but it is starting to make a
of the drains along the south shoreline,” Taylor said. “I had no idea my son and I were about to experience one of the best fishing days for redfish I’ve ever seen.”
The two fishermen could see large schools of 50 redfish or more boiling along the water’s surface as they waded toward the mouth of the marsh drain. They got out and walked along the bank in the marsh grass, and crept into casting range of the feeding frenzy.
“It sounded like the loudest popcorn machine I’ve ever heard,” Taylor said. “The reds were chasing small shrimp, and one school after another was working its way down the length of the drain, chomping with their backs out of the water, as far as I could see.”
Taylor got his son into position along the bank, and directed him to cast his soft plastic right in the middle of the school of reds. The surface of the shallow water erupted as the youngster hooked up with a solid fish.
The duo stood in the same spot along the bank and sight-cast their limits of red-
“It was a day I’ll never forget,” Taylor said. “And I’m so glad I got to experience
Largemouth bass action is becoming more consistent in many Texas lakes, as water temperatures continue to fall off. Anglers are finding fish in an increasingly aggressive mood.
On Sam Rayburn Reservoir, guide Josh Sikes said the action for bass is as good as it gets. He and his anglers have been catching the most fish along main lake points and drains in 18-30 feet of water. Alabama rigs, large crankbaits, and other moving or reaction style baits in shad patterns have been the ticket.
“The bass are in large schools chasing shad, and they are aggressive,” Sikes said. “It’s not out of the question to find a large school on the graph and catch close to 50 fish in one general area.”
Most of the fish are in the 2-4 pound range, with a handful of larger fish pushing 6-7 pounds mixed in.
“There are some bigger bass staging along brush piles in 18-23
By Tony Vindell
For Lone Star outdoor newS
For some anglers, fishing is an allyear pastime — whether from a boat, in the surf, jetty or pier.
Others prefer the fall and winter months to fish from the small and narrow human- or battery-propelled kayak. Some of these adventurous anglers go miles into open channel and bay waters in search of their favorite fish.
Anthony Mendoza and his brother, Jacobo, have been catching their limits of trout and redfish in the last three weeks from their self-propelled crafts.
On South Bay and at Holly Beach, each caught three trout and three reds recently.
On Dec. 9 Mendoza went solo off the Jaime Zapata Boat Ramp along Texas Highway 48 and came back with a 25-inch red.
“I saw a school of about 20 reds,” said the Los Fresnos angler. “I just caught one keeper and two undersized ones.”
Mendoza said he left from the ramp at daybreak and came back at about 10:30 a.m. He went on a battery-powered kayak he recently started using, heading toward the west side of the body of water known as Los Lobos.
On another trip to South Bay, Mendoza got his limit of speckled trout, plus a 29-inch oversized fish.
Although they have a boat they take to a number of places throughout the Lower Laguna Madre, Mendoza said he uses the kayak more often than not, as it’s much easier to handle than a boat.
He and other kayakers, including a colorful angler who identified himself as El Pinguino, or the Penguin, like to fish for snook.
El Pinguino said he has been kayak fishing since 2015.
“When I come here (the Highway 48 bridge) I usually stay all day,” he said. “I fish under this bridge until I get tired or it gets too slow.”
On the same morning Mendoza went fishing, El Pinguino spent a couple of hours getting everything ready to head out.
He brought live shrimp he bought at a bait shop, caught about a dozen mullet with a casting net and had a few lures as well.
He said the shrimp are for black drum and the lures and mullet for snook. His style for catching snook is to use a small treble hook, baited with cut mullet, and a popping cork with a long leader.
“A snook has a mouth like a trout,” he said. “And they fight like hell.”
Rainbow trout anglers have access to a prime location thanks to a “no fee” access lease on the Guadalupr River.
Camp Huaco Springs, located between New Braunfels and Sattler, features nearly a halfmile of bank access along alternating pools and riffles on the river. Anglers can use the bank, which is gently sloped and rocky, or wade both upstream and downstream to take advantage of a low-water dam at the upper end of the property or a deep pool at the lower end. They can also launch non-motorized boats, canoes, kayaks or other floatable devices for the purpose of fishing.
Public access opened Dec. 6 and is available through March 3 from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
TPWD will stock this and other sections of the Guadalupe River, also known as the Canyon Reservoir Tailrace, with more than 20,000 rainbow trout during weekly stockings from early December through late February.
The Guadalupe River Unlimited Chapter also stocks larger rainbows throughout the river during the colder months.
conditions were right for a trophy speck.”
According to Wallace, Paschal was poling his skiff at an inchworm’s pace, and pointing out large trout for him to cast to from the poling platform. Wallace ended up landing a total of seven trout on the fly, including six that were 24 inches or longer, with the two largest at 30 and 30.25 inches.
“The trout were blending in so well with their environment, that you couldn’t really tell specifically how large they were in the water,” Wallace said. “I could tell they were good-sized specks. When I hooked the first of the two largest fish and Paschal told me it was a monster, I knew I had something special on the end of my line.”
Upon landing the fish, Paschal told Wallace they needed to get a quick length measurement of it before letting her go. The trout measured right at 30 inches, and Wallace posed for a quick photo before releasing her safely.
As luck would have it, the next fish that
Lone Star outdoor newS
The Inland Fisheries Abilene District, led by biologist Michael Homer Jr., and the Brown County Water Improvement District conducted a fish habitat enhancement project to improve fishing quality at Lake Brownwood.
For the project, habitat structures including Reef Balls, recycled concrete culverts, 40-inch MossBack Fish Habitat Conservation Cubes, Christmas tree brush piles, and several 60-inch MossBack Safe Haven XLs were deployed among five locations.
The project will improve the overall fishing experience at the lake by potentially improving angler catch rates by attracting fish such as largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish and crappie, around the structures and provide long-lasting fish structures for the lake.
One of the industry’s most popular tournament series programs, Skeeter Bass Champs, has been renewed by Pursuit Media, now with weekly scheduled airings for the entire 2025 broadcast season.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the great folks at Bass Champs. Bass Champs has been a viewer favorite and continues to grow in popularity each and every year.” said Rusty Faulk, CEO of Pursuit Media.
Bass Champs will now have an anchored slot, Saturdays at noon.
“This is our 27th year of the trail and 24th year of the television show,” said Chad Potts, president of Bass Champs, Inc. “We are very excited about the 2025 season.”
Skeeter Bass Champs programs will air Mondays at 7 a.m., Tuesdays at 4 a.m., Fridays 1:30 p.m. and Saturdays at noon.
Wallace hooked was another giant, and the speck actually struck at his fly twice. On his first cast the trout attempted to eat Wallace’s shrimp-pattern offering, but missed the fly. Wallace sent the fly back in front of the fish, and she turned and engulfed it. That fish stretched to 30.25 inches and was released.
“You just don’t get many days like that where the big trout are up shallow and willing to eat,” Paschal said. “We see quite a few of them from time to time, but they are often very finicky.”
Wallace said it was a day he’ll never forget.
“The weather had been less than ideal during the days leading up to this epic trip, and Paschal and I had to cancel our plans to fish multiple times due to poor conditions,” he said. “This trip definitely made up for the days that we were unable to get out on the water.”
ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 54 degrees; 0.40’ high. Crappie are fair on minnows.
AMISTAD: Water stained; 71 degrees; 65.90’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, Ned rigs, crankbaits and Texas-rigged worms. White bass are good on spoons, underspins and umbrella rigs. Striper are slow.
ARLINGTON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 7.88’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 51 degrees; 5.29’ low. Catfish are good on fresh cut shad.
ATHENS: Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.78’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, wackyrigged senkos and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow.
AUSTIN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.54’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on flukes, divers and worms.
B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.17’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines.
BASTROP: Water stained; 75 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on moving baits, shaky heads and Carolina rigs.
BELTON: Water stained; 63 degrees; 2.22’ low. White bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.67’ low. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on chatter baits and Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on shad.
BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 1.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, small swimbaits and jigs.
BOIS D’ARC: stained; 85 degrees; 3.72’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, rage swimmers, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Redfish are fair on shrimp and fish bites. Catfish are good on cheese bait.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.37’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and crankbaits. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Catfish are slow.
BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 15.58’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, worms and swimbaits. Striped and white bass are fair on jigs and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad
and punch bait.
CADDO: Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.23’ high. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits, swimbaits, Alabama rigs and chatter baits. Crappie are fair on jigs.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees. Redfish are fair on shrimp, lipless crankbaits and fish bites. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.
CANYON: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 27.54’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are good on slabs. Striper are slow.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 67 degrees; 3.74’ low. Hybrids and white bass are fair on spinners and slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on fresh shad.
CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 32.79’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. White bass are fair on spinner baits. Crappie are fair on live minnows and grubs.
CONROE: Water stained; 66 degrees; 1.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Hybrids are good on slabs, jigs and swim baits. Catfish are good on liver, worms and punch bait.
COOPER: Water stained; 64 degrees: 2.00’ low. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.
CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 80 degrees; 12.12’ low. White bass are fair on live bait. Catfish are good on shad.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 66 degrees; 5.03’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.
FALCON: Water stained; 68 degrees; 45.73’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on fresh cut bait.
FAY-
ETTE: Water lightly stained; 75 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits, Carolina rigs and drop shots.
low. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
GRAHAM: Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.36’ high. Largemouth bass are good on moving baits. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass and hybrids are good on slabs. Catfish are good on cut shad.
GRANBURY: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Striped bass and white bass are good on live bait, slabs and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 1.01’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on shad.
GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.69’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.
GREENBELT: Water stained; 65 degrees; 49.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.
HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.06’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 65 degrees; 12.95’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on live bait and cut carp.
JOE POOL: Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
LAKE O’ THE PINES:
Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.53’ high. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, swimbaits and jigs.
FORK: Water stained; 70 degrees; 2.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chatter baits, spinner baits and square-billed crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
FT PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.56’
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 3.60’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs and flukes. Catfish are good on cut gizzard shad.
LBJ: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.25’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits, weightless senkos and chatter baits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 3.31’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
LIMESTONE: Water lightly stained; 56 degrees; 3.03’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs, chatter baits and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and minnows. Catfish are fair on live bait.
LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 1.26’ low. White bass are fair on slabs.
MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 69 degrees; 1.97; low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, chatter baits and swimbaits. White bass are fair on jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait, cut bait and live bait.
MEREDITH: Water stained; 54 degrees; 47.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on minnows and artificials. Crappie are fair on minnows. Walleye are good on minnows and grubs. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad.
are good on spoons and tail spinners. Catfish are fair on cut bait and shrimp.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 17.76’ low. White bass are are fair on spoons. Crappie are fair on jigs.
PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 1.26’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and top-waters. Hybrids are good on spoons.
POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.14’ low. Striper are fair on live bait. White bass are fair on live shad and slabs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
PROCTOR: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.34’ high. Hybrid striped bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on juglines.
RAVEN: Water lightly stained; 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, worms and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are fair on worms and stink bait.
MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 68 degrees; 2.11’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrids are slow. Catfish are fair on shad.
NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 64 degrees; 1.39’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait or live minnows.
NACONICHE: Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are good on drop shots and deepdiving crankbaits. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 73 degrees. 0.45’ 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; 65 degrees; 1.44’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut perch and shad.
O H IVIE: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 22.57’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass
RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 2.92’ low. White bass are good on jigs and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared punch bait.
RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 70 degrees; 1.32’ low. White bass are fair on live bait and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.20’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on live bait. Catfish are good on punch bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 2.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and moving baits. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cut bait and minnows.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 57 degrees; 2.23’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Hybrids are fair on cut bait. Catfish are good on cut shad and punch bait.
SPENCE: Water stained; 65 degrees. 45.39’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are good on spoons and inline spinners. Catfish are slow.
STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 63 degrees; 1.77’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 2.94’ low. Largemouth bass are
good on soft plastics and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on swimbaits and slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
TEXOMA: Water stained; 58 degrees; 1.14’ high. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and crankbaits. Striper are good on live shad and swimbaits. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 68 degrees; 4.43’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, spinner baits, soft plastics and swimbaits. Crappie are slow.
TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 42.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, chatter baits and spinner baits.
TYLER: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.92’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on trick worms and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are slow.
WACO: Water stained; 70 degrees; 2.26’ low. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
WALTER E LONG: Water lightly stained; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on weedless swimbaits, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits.
WELSH: Water stained; 73 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. WHITE RIVER: Water stained; 62 degrees; 22.18’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
WHITNEY: Water stained; 76 degrees; 0.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on live bait and top-waters. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on punch bait.
WORTH: Water stained; 66 degrees; 2.58’ 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; 3.77’ high. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on stink bait.
FIVE WARDENS RECOGNIZED FOR JETTY RESCUE
Five Texas game wardens played a critical role in rescuing a man who had slipped while fishing off the Port Aransas jetties and had gone into the water. The day brought strong winds, and the jetties were wet and slippery due to recent rains, creating hazardous conditions. Nueces County Game Wardens John Failla, Kyle Hendley, Benjamin Jenkins and Welden Rappmund and Harris County Game Warden Eric Taylor were among the first to arrive on the scene, quickly locating the man in the water. Despite the dangerous conditions, wardens navigated the slippery jetty to reach the unresponsive man. Upon reaching him, the wardens faced the challenging task of carefully transporting him up the jetties. As the man struggled to breathe, the wardens used a portable oxygen device until medical personnel arrived. The wardens then carried him down the jetty to reach emergency medical personnel. The man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he received further medical care and survived.
FALLOW BUCK POACHED, HEAD REMOVED
A large white fallow buck was shot from the roadway along Ranch Road
Debra Staples, 56, of Roanoke, was lost at Big Bend Ranch State Park for more than 30 hours. After searches by game wardens, Border Patrol and other agencies, including helicopter, K9 and drone resources, were unsuccessful, she was eventually located, alive and well, 20 miles from the point she was last seen. Soon after her husband left to bike one of the trails on the morning of Nov. 26, Staples decided to try to catch up to him, but was unable to. Upon reaching a crossroads in the trail, she took the wrong trail. After getting a flat tire on her bike, Staples opted to leave it behind. She ended up walking in a circle for five hours, eventually coming upon the bike again. She decided to take it with her and continued walking the trail system until she reached the Sauceda Ranger Station located in the interior of the park. From there, search crews were notified of her location, and she was safely reunited with her family.
1320, just outside of Johnson City. The head was removed from the carcass and the meat was left to waste.
A reward is offered for information leading to the conviction of the person(s) involved, and the owner of the fallow deer is offering additional reward money. Call (800) 792-4263 with information.
BUCK SHOT AT WACO’S AIRPORT PARK
On the evening of Nov. 24, a whitetailed buck was unlawfully shot and left to waste at Airport Park Campground, located in Waco. This incident occurred dangerously close to occupied RV camping sites.
McLennan County game wardens are investigating and seeking information. A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible.
ARMED TRESPASSER SOUGHT
A Jim Wells County landowner reported a trespasser on his property. The trespasser was armed with a long gun. Game wardens, along with local and state law enforcement partners, responded with a tracking K9 and multiple area game wardens. The K9 team tracked the individual to a location where they
appear to have been picked up by a vehicle before a perimeter could be secured. The Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation.
STRANDED FISHERMAN RECOVERED
After receiving a call at 11:45 p.m. from the wife of a boater stating her husband had not arrived at a planned destination near Ingleside, and she was unable to contact him, the Coast Guard launched response boat, air and helicopter crews. The air crew spotted the vessel near the Port O’Connor jetties and relayed its location to the helicopter and boat
crews. Due to the sea state, the helicopter crew was unable to perform a hoist for the stranded boater, and he was embarked onto the the response boat and transported to Port Aransas with no reported injuries.
MORE THAN A TON OF RED SNAPPER
The Coast Guard interdicted three lanchas and seized approximately 2,200 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters. Boat and air crews located and stopped a total of 19 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. After the boat was stopped, approximately 2,200 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and highflyers on board the vessel were seized. Coast Guard crews detained the men, brought them ashore and transferred the detainees to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for further processing.
TRESPASSER CAUGHT ON CAMERA, SOUGHT Falls County game wardens are seeking information for their investigation into a case of hunting without landowner consent that took place around Nov. 12. The individual armed with a rifle and pistol, was captured on a game camera near the Brazos River on private property.
were hauled in groups of four to seven while adult rams were hauled in separate compartments to prevent them from butting horns while in transport.
The actual release was a series of smaller releases from each trailer compartment.
Desert bighorn sheep populations rebounded with active management and releases, but in Texas they have declined by about 50 percent over the past 2-3 years. Biologists believe that bacterial pneumonia spread by aoudad is partially responsible for the decline. Aoudad, a nonnative sheep, carry and spread a particular bacteria but are not susceptible to the pneumonia it causes. The Franklin Mountains are a key component of Texas bighorn conservation because there are not any aoudad present and predator numbers are limited. It is expected that this population, once established, will serve as a source for other transplants. TPWD has no current plans for hunting these sheep.
Despite the decline in bighorn numbers, there are still two public draw bighorn tags available some years in Texas. One tag is available through the Guided Bighorn public hunt option and a second tag is available through the Big Time Texas Hunts.
Officials said there were no mortalities in the bighorns captured and moved, credited largely to the animals not having to spend extra time in the trailers. They will continue to monitor the animals, as they are at increased risk for about 30 days.
Partners with TPWD in this capture/release effort included the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Camp Fire Conservation Fund, the Mid-West Chapter of WSF and Texas Bighorn Society.
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comeback,” Rotherham said.
He has been finding keepers by working a bright-colored jig over the top of brush piles in about 10-15 feet of water.
“As it gets colder they will move up into the river, and there they will stay deep near the middle in about 30 feet,” he said. “Find the bait and you will find them.”
Lewisville Lake also is producing numbers of young fish from 8-9 inches. Larger crappie have been tougher to find, though.
“You’re gonna have to cover a lot of water to find a limit,” said guide Jake Sonnevelt. “It’s been hit-or-miss lately. You’ll fish a spot one day and catch them and come back the next and they have moved.”
Sonnevelt has been having luck with natural jig colors in a profile that matches the baitfish.
“One more good cold front and they will be moving into the creeks,” he said.
Lewisville has been provided a bonus for crappie anglers. While crappie fishing has been fair, the hybrid striped bass fishing has been red hot. Since 2020 the lake has had 4 million hybrids stocked, and Sonnevelt has been finding them in some of the same spots he fishes for crappie.
A $1,300 reward is offered by two local Oregon Hunters Association chapters and a private citizen for information leading to the return of nine aluminum boundary signs or information leading to a conviction of the person who stole the signs from the Upper Rogue Travel Management Area.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff put the signs up in late October to notify hunters of the annual two-week November closure to hunting in the TMA. The signs were missing Nov. 3.
The Rogue Valley and Josephine County OHA Chapters donated funds several years ago to assist ODFW in purchasing the high-quality aluminum signs for the TMA. And now both chapters are pitching in along with a private citizen to offer the $1,300 reward for the safe return of the signs or information leading to a conviction of the person who stole the signs.
—ODFW
Indiana conservation officers arrested four men for numerous misdemeanor hunting violations following a poaching incident on Nov. 23 in Daviess County.
At approximately 10 p.m., officers were patrolling County Road 900 East when they heard a gunshot in the immediate area. Officers located Biak Sang, 40, and Muang Hu, 40, both of Greenwood, and Ro Hmung Lian, 34, and Biak Hu, 48, both of Indianapolis.
Officers also located a deer that was determined to have been shot from the roadway with the aid of an artificial light along with two additional deer in the back of a vehicle. All suspects were taken into custody.
The men are being charged with jacklighting, illegal possession of a white-tailed deer, shooting from a public roadway, hunting by the aid of a vehicle and hunting after legal shooting hours.
—IDNR
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens are seeking information regarding two deer that were shot after the general season in eastern Blaine County.
Wardens received a report of a deer left to waste on private property along New Hope Road. Wardens found the wasted deer that was reported, and in addition, found more blood and drag marks nearby, indicating that a second deer was shot and removed from the property.
The deer were shot with a firearm, and likely killed between the evening of Dec. 3 or early on Dec. 4, several days after the general deer season closed on Dec. 1.
Tyler Campbell caught five smallmouth bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces — just enough to win the one-day Classic Fish-Off at the Bassmasater Team Championship on Kentucky Lake.
The win earned the Georgia resident the final berth in the Bassmaster Classic, scheduled for March 21-23, 2025 on Texas’ Lake Ray Roberts.
Campbell relied on a Zoom Winged Fluke 5-inch minnow (Tennessee Shad) throughout both the Team Championship and Classic Fish-Off.
The Top 3 teams from the Team Championship advanced to Saturday’s Classic Fish-Off. Campbell and teammate Blake Cambell (no relation) finished second in the team competition. The six remaining anglers had their weights zeroed and fished individually on the final day. —B.A.S.S.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission successfully recovered 37 gold coins stolen from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks, valued collectively at more than $1 million. In 2015, members of the Schmitt family, working as contracted salvage operators for 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC, uncovered a treasure trove of 101 gold coins from the wrecks off Florida’s Treasure Coast. While 51 of these coins were reported correctly and adjudicated, 50 coins were not disclosed and were subsequently stolen.
FWC investigators, in collaboration with the FBI, launched an in-depth probe after new evidence emerged on June 10. This evidence linked Eric Schmitt, a member of the Schmitt family, to the illegal sale of multiple stolen gold coins between 2023 and 2024. Investigators executed multiple search warrants, recovering coins from private residences, safe deposit boxes and auctions. Five stolen coins were reclaimed from a Florida-based auctioneer, who unknowingly purchased them from Eric Schmitt. It was also discovered that Eric Schmitt took three of the stolen gold coins and placed them on the ocean floor in 2016 to be found by the new investors of 1715 FleetQueens Jewels, LLC.
As required by state and federal law, the recovered artifacts will be returned to their rightful custodians.
Continued from page 6
to trying more bird hunting.
“We didn’t get a lot of shots each day,” he said. “Our guide said it was kind of slow, but it was really cool.”
In the meantime, Hirschy said he will continue to learn about hunting and how to get involved.
“I don’t have a lot of experience or equipment, but I do have the interest,” he said. “For now, without the knowledge or equipment, I kind of have to stick to more of the full-circle kind of trips.”
As for the merganser, Hirschy said he hasn’t tried cooking it yet.
“People said they are salty and not very good,” he said. “I’ll figure something out and at least try it.”
After receiving instructions,
Continued from page 8
feet of water, they are just not in large numbers,” Sikes said. “You can definitely put some larger bass in the boat targeting brush piles, you just won’t catch near as many fish.”
Riley Harris, of Orange, is an angler who targets big fish. The 26-year-old fished a brush pile on Big Sam and, after spotting what appeared to be a good fish on his electronics, tossed a football jig and landed a 13.79-pound giant on his second cast.
Lee Benton has been splitting time on the water between Inks Lake and Lake Buchanan. On Inks, the outside edges of grass lines in 4-8 feet of water have been producing the most consistent action. Reaction baits, such as square-billed crankbaits and lipless crankbaits in red or crawfish color patterns are working the best.
“On Buchanan, the bass are staging over rock piles in 5-10 feet of water,” Benton said. “Shaky heads and crawfish-colored crankbaits have been catching plenty of fish over rocks.”
Benton said Inks is producing better quality bass, while Buchanan has been better for catching numbers of fish.
“The bass on Inks Lake have been in the 2- to 4-pound range on average, and there’s been a few here and there weighing over 5 pounds,” he said. “Buchanan has been producing lots of fish from 2 to 3 pounds.”
On Squaw Creek Reservoir guide Camron Wilkerson said he’s finding a lot of bass in 5-15 feet of water around points that lead into coves. Points with a flat with plenty of cedar trees adjacent to deeper water have held the most consistent action.
“The bass have been hanging out along the edges of flats near the dropoff among the cedars,” he said. “Jerk baits in baitfish patterns with a purple tint that dive from 4 to 8 feet have been working well in these areas. Shaky head presentations also have been drawing plenty of strikes.”
While 2-3-pounders are abundant, the guide uses his electronics to locate and focus on fish from 3-4 pounds.
There also are good numbers of bass roaming in deeper water in depths of 20-40 feet during the early morning hours.
“These fish are suspended and chasing swarms of shad,” Wilkerson said. “The best way to target them is to use a jig rigged with a 3-inch swimbait.”
These 2025 Auction Items Could Be Yours!
Solution on Page 26
ACROSS
1) Salmon species
2) Central Texas lake
4) Shotshell brand
6) Common oak in Hill Country
7) Snake boot brand
8) Turkey hunters’ org.
9) Fishing TV host
11) Border lake
13) A mallard favorite
16) Shackelford County’s seat
17) An African antelope
18) The tom’s red skin
19) Worm rigging style
21) Cluster of clams
23) Rifle brand
24) One of the quail
27) Crankbait brand
28) A deer favorite
30) The fastest duck, red breasted
32) Organ eaten by duck hunters
33) Shotgun ammo for deer
36) Coastal bay
37) One of the cats
41) Sinker type
42) Turkey mouth call
43) Huntsville’s county
44) Fishing line type
45) Brownsville’s county
46) Henderson County’s seat
DOWN
1) The young swan
3) Ammo brand
5) The warm front’s wind
6) Hallettsville’s county
9) A cloud of gnats
10) East Texas lake
12) Texas-made inline spinner
14) A Great Lake
15) San Antonio’s county 17) The female bighorn
20) The duck’s best sense
22) A bass ambush spot
24) Shotgun brand
25) Trout species
26) The drake pintail
27) Guadalupe County’s seat
29) White bass lure
30) Bass tournament org.
31) The small Canada goose
34) One of the eagles
35) The most valuable tuna
38) Safari destination
39) The female feral hog
40) West Texas river
duck and Cajun rice bowl
2 lbs. green onion sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped 4 celery ribs, chopped
1 family-size box dirty rice mix
1 family-size box jambalaya mix
4 duck breasts
seasoning Vegetable oil
Brown sausage, onion, pepper and celery in a large skillet over medium heat. When cooked, add amount of chicken broth called for by the rice and jambalaya mixes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add rice and jambalaya mixes, then stir, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Season duck breasts with your favorite Cajun seasoning. Heat a large skillet to high with a little bit of vegetable oil. Cook duck breasts 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, wrap in foil and let rest about 10 minutes. To serve, scoop a serving of rice into a bowl. Thinly slice the duck breast and add to top.
—Arkansas GFC
Silencer Central expanding
Silencer Central has broken ground on a new 60,000 square-foot warehouse and distribution center located adjacent to its Sioux Falls, South Dakota headquarters building, including an indoor shooting range.
Sellmark Corporation named Vanessa McCoy as its global vice president of marketing for brands Sightmark, Firefield, KJI, BulletSafe and INFORCE.
Banshee Brands Inc., the parent company of RETAY USA and Breda America Group, added JP Fischer to its team as its vice president of sales.
Reid McKinstry was named the operations manager at Cashion Rods.
The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is seeking a director of development for the Scholastic Clay Target Program.
Pete Przepiora joined Rapala VMC as regional sales manager focusing on the eastern U.S. as well as Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Smith & Wesson is hiring a district sales manager in the territory of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
St. Croix Rod promoted Ryan Teach to vice president of innovation, and Dan Johnston, the former national sales manager, to director of sales.
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced 1/2 cup celery, diced
2 cans low sodium chicken broth, 14.5 ounces each
3 tsps. seafood seasoning
2 cans diced low sodium tomatoes, 14.5 ounces each
1 can tomato paste, 3 ounces
1 12-ounce bag frozen okra
4 catfish fillets
2 cups cooked brown rice
In large pot, heat oil and cook onion, bell pepper and celery until tender. Add chicken broth, seafood seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and okra. Bring to a boil. Add catfish and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until fish is cooked through. Serve over rice.
—Alabama Extension Service
Continued from page 1
as we saw the buck, and my dad set up my tripod for me to set my rifle on to try to get a shot,” Battistoni said. “I was sitting on my knees looking through the scope, but all I could see was the tips of his ears and the tops of his antlers sticking up above the tall grass.”
The youngster said she had to try to stay still while sitting on her knees on the rocky terrain.
“It seemed like I had been sitting there forever, and my legs and knees were really starting to hurt,” she explained. “We tried making some different animal noises, thinking it would make him stand up, but the buck just kept staring in our direction.”
Battistoni’s father made some goat noises, and her little brother started quacking like a duck. They even tried throwing some rocks in the buck’s direction, but he wouldn’t budge.
“We had been sitting there for about 40 minutes, when the deer finally moved to get up,” Battistoni said. “He rose up on his front knees first, and I could see his chest and neck. My dad told me to aim right at the white patch on his neck, so I put the crosshairs right where he told me to and pulled the trigger.”
After the shot from her 6.5 Grendel, the buck instantly fell.
Battistoni said she was shaking as she walked up to her first deer.
“I had no idea that he was as big as he was from where I was sitting when I shot him,” she said. “My heart was pounding, and I was just trying to focus on making a good shot.”
Commercial baits exist and can be bought from trap supply companies. In colder weather, something that smells strong — such as sardines or other cheap canned fish — can be effective. Marshmallows, especially the mini size, are also attractive. Fruit-flavored, sweet breakfast cereals are attractive because of the color and sweet taste.
While the fur market is virtually nonexistent, you can use the raccoons you catch for wall hangings or have them made into fur garments. A number of tanneries and garment makers exist and a quick search will provide access to companies which will turn your nuisance raccoons into a beautiful coat or vest for a family member.
By trapping racoons before the breeding season, you’ll ensure the pelts are at their best and that you’ll minimize the damage to your quail and turkey nests next spring.
SABINE LAKE: 68 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Black drum are fair on live and fresh dead shrimp.
BOLIVAR: 72 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Big croaker, sand trout and black drum are fair on live and fresh dead shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: 68 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp and soft plastics. Speckled trout are fair on suspending twitch baits and soft plastics.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 60 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on soft plastics and live shrimp. Black drum are fair on live shrimp and finger mullet.
GALVESTON BAY: 58 degrees. Redfish are fair on live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: 66 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp. Black drum are fair on live shrimp.
TEXAS CITY: 60 degrees. Bull redfish are fair on cut bait and cracked crab. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and live shrimp.
FREEPORT: 62 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good under working birds on scented soft plastics rigged under a popping cork. Black drum, sand trout and large croaker are fair on live shrimp and fresh dead shrimp.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 69 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are slow. Black drum are fair on live shrimp and cut bait.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 69 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are fair on soft plastics and
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spoons. Black drum are fair on live shrimp and cut bait.
PORT O’CONNOR: 68 degrees. Bull redfish are fair on blue crab and Spanish sardines. Slot redfish are fair on Spanish sardines. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp. Black drum are good on dead shrimp and blue crab. SAN ANTONIO BAY: 70 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp. Redfish are good on mullet. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.
ROCKPORT: 71 degrees. Speckled trout are good on shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are good on shrimp and mullet. Black drum are good on live and dead shrimp.
REDFISH BAY: 72 degrees. Back drum and redfish are good on dead shrimp and mullet.
PORT ARANSAS: 71 degrees. Redfish are good on shrimp and cut mullet. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp. Black drum are good on live and fresh dead shrimp.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 72 degrees. Black drum and redfish are good on dead shrimp and mullet. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp under a popping cork.
BAFFIN BAY: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on top-waters, soft plastics and suspending twitch baits. Redfish are fair on soft plastics and suspending twitch baits.
PORT MANSFIELD: 76 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfish are good on spoons, soft plastics and top-waters.
SOUTH PADRE: 75 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp. Redfish are good on live shrimp and cut bait. Sheepshead and black drum are fair on live shrimp.
or email editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.
Continued from page 5
Early in his hunt, he had a doe that looked nervous come out in front of him.
“David decided to do a tending grunt sequence with his call,” Daniel said. “He did three sequences of those about 5 minutes apart and, about 10 minutes later, the buck he shot came out looking for a fight.”
David waited until the deer moved into an area where he could get a shot on him before bleating to stop him.
“It wasn’t until the deer turned to run that David realized how big he was and started freaking out,” Daniel said. “After the shot, he started texting all of us, “big buck down!’”
David’s 9-point buck with a 21-inch spread measured approximately 144 inches.
After David’s shot and text, Torrey climbed down from his stand. As luck would have it, a big 10-pointer came by not long thereafter.
“It’s worth it — seeing your kid that successful,” Torrey said. “The boys were teasing me. I wasn’t seeing anything — David was seeing everything.”
For Torrey, it seemed a regular occurrence that as soon as he climbed down from one tree and moved, the game camera would go off the next day.
“They were doing a good job of avoiding him,” Daniel said.
Finally, his persistence paid off. At about 10 a.m., Torrey was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen for him this year. About that time, he heard “crunch-crunch” and could see a patch of a deer through the woods.
“I could tell it wasn’t a big deer, but it was moving away from me like something was behind it,” Torrey said. “It was a doe and, sure enough, there was a buck behind her.”
There was no chance for a shot on the buck.
“I know that if a buck loses a doe, he will backtrail her, and I thought I might get a shot then,” Torrey said. “As luck would have it, about 15 minutes later he did just that.”
Torrey made the close, 25 to 30-yard shot. His 8-pointer measured about 130 inches.
“What was impressive was his mass — he had a 5 1/2-inch circumference at his base,” Daniel said.
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decoys, and the birds have been working in well.
“There’s just a lot of birds starting to show up, and there’s quite a few young birds in the mix, so there must have been a good hatch,” he said.
Zach Montalvo said decent numbers of specklebellies are starting to show up on peanut fields in Charlotte and the surrounding areas of South Texas.
“The specks really seem to be running about a month behind compared to previous years,” the Speck Ops guide said. “We are getting more birds with each cold front, but they did not arrive down here as early as I would have expected.”
Montalvo said the goose hunts that he has guided recently have resulted in quick limits of two specks each in the Eastern Zone.
“I have some buddies that guide in the Haskell area, that have been covered up with specklebellies,” Montalvo said. “So I know there’s more birds on the way.
Longneck Outfitters’ Stephen Dieb said he has seen a big influx of geese in the Lubbock area over the past few weeks.
“We are seeing some fair numbers of specks and big concentrations of Canada geese here in the Panhandle,” he said. “Most of the birds are feeding in wheat stubble fields that have some regrowth and regermination.”
Dieb said they started hunting geese a couple of weeks later than normal because huntable numbers of birds were running about two weeks behind.
“Our goose hunts have been good and most have resulted in limits,” he said. “The birds are a little more scattered than I’d like them to be, and the concentrations are just not as large as they usually are this time of year.”
All I’ll say is — there is always next year.”
Regardless of what they are hunting, Hart ley said every Thanks giving is topped off with a dinner of fried venison backstrap, mashed potatoes and gravy.
“I could give a thou sand reasons why I think more people should spend time outdoors, but the most important reason to me is the peace that it gives you,” she said. “In addition to it be ing healthy for you, being in the hunting industry will lead you to meet so many amazing, down-to-earth people.”
Jed Mazour and his wife, Denise, share their traditions with the children, and it involves the wild Thanksgiving turkey.
“We go deer hunting every year around Thanksgiving, but we always try to harvest a turkey, and this year I was successful,” Mazour said. “My wife is a pro at cooking wild game and makes her own venison bone broth that takes her three days to make.”
They butterfly the turkey breasts, tenderize them and then chicken fry them in a pan. Along with his wife’s homemade mashed potatoes and gravy which also has her venison broth, Mazour said it’s a pretty big deal.
“We have raised our kids on venison and experiences like this have been monumental in raising them,” he said. “They have learned how to hunt, clean their harvest, and cook it with the recipes my wife has made for the last 20 years.”
Each of the hunters believe their tradi-
tions honor the holiday and embrace the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Texas’ official state photographer, Wyman Meinzer, said his family’s Thanksgiving tradition began more than 55 years ago.
“Thanksgiving was such a special time in our home out on the ranch along the Brazos,” he said. “My brother and I would start the day deer hunting while mom would be fixing a large Thanksgiving dinner.
“I know in my heart mom and dad are looking down from their Heavenly home and wishing us well as I am trying to keep up the tradition by engaging a little deer hunting, although not with the vigor of my youth.”
Meinzer said he did make a stalk on foot but didn’t take the shot due to difficulty in making a clean kill.
“But with my .257 Roberts and a hot tumbler of 4WD coffee, the tradition of yesteryear was engaged,” he said. “For that I am pleased.”
DECEMBER 16
TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
Houston Sporting Clays Event Greater Houston Sports Club texas-wildlife.org
JANUARY 9-12
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Convention & Sporting Expo
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Georgia (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
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 (713) 623-8844 The Woodlands Waterway Marriott hscfdn.org
JANUARY 25
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Corsicana Dinner
I.O.O.F Event Center (903) 654-7704 ducks.org
MULE DEER FOUNDATION
Kerrville Banquet
Hill Country Youth Event Center (432) 290-4563 muledeer.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED Big Thicket Dinner
Cleveland Civic Center (713) 826-7127 ducks.org
JANUARY 31
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
Victoria Banquet
Victoria Community Center (361) 920-2440 rmef.org
FEBRUARY 1
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
Houston Banquet
Houston Distributing Company (713) 515-7796 nwtf.org
