March 23, 2018 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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March 23, 2018

Volume 14, Issue 15

Saving spring break for crappie

Fish scale dilemma

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Genevieve Monier, a Southlake resident who is a freshman at the University of Alabama, planned a trip to Seattle with her mother over spring break.

Once home, she had a few days before they were to leave, so she asked her dad, Philip, a question that was music to his ears.

“Can we go crappie fishing?”

On March 10, the pair headed to East Texas and a friend’s farm with ponds managed for big bass. The ponds also hold crappie, and March is one of the best times to find them in shallow water.

“We caught about 50 in three hours and my dad and his friend cleaned them,” Genevieve said.

Who caught the most?

“Oh, me by a lot,” she said.

The second day of fishing was a bust, Philip said.

“A storm came through and dropped a bunch of rain,” he said. “We didn’t fish that day.”

On Cedar Creek Reservoir, guide Chris Webb had spring breakers the entire week, and took about 25 out on the lake.

“The lake is full, and the fishing had been a little tougher than normal as most of the crappie and sand bass had been up in the creeks,” he said. “Many of the fish started to make their way back to the main lake, and we targeted docks and casted to windblown points.”

Finding the fish that are biting is the key to

Scales can provide weights of fish in differing parameters, sometimes throwing people off. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Decimals, pounds and ounces can confuse anglers, officials

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News We may be living in a digital age, but many in the fishing world are still traditionalists.

Anyone who’s ever watched a weigh-in at a Bassmaster fishing tournament knows that. An angler’s bag is set on a scale that records weight in pounds and ounces.

Contrast that to today’s digital scales, which can record weight in decimals to the millionths and beyond.

“Our first scales were grocery scales,” said Dave Precht, Bassmaster’s vice president of communications. “Fifty years ago, I don’t think there was a digital scale. It had a basket that you put meat and vegetables in. It

During her spring break, Genevieve Monier landed one of many big crappie on an East Texas private lake. Photo by Philip Monier.

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Study results promising

By Craig Nyhus

The increasing popularity of drones leads to new applications on Texas ranches, and researchers with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute looked at the use of drones in conducting aerial surveys for white-tailed deer in South Texas.

deer were present. Commercially available drones were used, flights were conducted in daylight and at night, using infrared and thermal equipment, and from varying heights and camera angles.

What did they find?

“Similar to helicopter surveys, it was difficult to see the deer unless they were moving,” DeYoung said. “The deer didn’t react until the drone was very close — the deer didn’t move very much.”

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CONTENTS

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Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists have received requests to use drone survey information for Managed Lands Deer Program applications.

Randy DeYoung of CKWRI presented the research findings at the Institute’s Deer Research Meeting on March 2.

Using two providers of drone services, flights were made over enclosures on the Faith and Comanche ranches where researchers knew how many

Drones are being considered as an alternative to helicopter surveys for white-tailed deer, with mixed results. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10

HUNTING

FISHING

Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12

Hunting sheds (P. 4)

Twin Buttes beauty (P. 8)

Novel contest helps collecting.

Familiar angler lands 13.4-pounder.

PCQ raises $2.2M (P. 5)

Jetties hot (P. 13)

Banquet sets records.

POC spot seeing variety of species.

Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 19 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 22

INSIDE

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210

Using drones to survey deer numbers

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HUNTING

Turkeys not talking for opener

A novel idea

More than 100 people found 75 sheds and nine heads at a contest held at the Sierra Mesa Ranch near Hico. Photo from Sierra Mesa Ranch.

Shed hunt contest

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News

Many South Texas hunters didn’t hear much gobbling during the opening weekend of spring turkey hunting, but expect the birds to exhibit breeding behavior soon. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Reports from South Texas hunters after the opening weekend of spring turkey season reached a similar consensus.

The birds weren’t talking, at least once they got off the roost and started moving.

Near Pearsall, C. H. Wildlife reported the birds are getting off to a late start.

“They are still jockeying for dominance,” they reported to Lone Star Outdoor News on Instagram. “The older birds haven’t culled out some of those younger ones yet. I don’t believe they have started mating.”

Near George West, normally a good spot for the opener, birds were seen in very large groups of wintertime-like flocks.

“Out of all my 30-plus years of chas-

ing these things, I’ve never seen an opener like this,” one hunter said.

“There are huge groups of gobblers, big groups of hens, and then you’ll see a big groups of hens with just a few gobblers. They are still in winter-type flocks.”

Still, a few gobblers came to the calls, and out of his group of eight hunters, three got their bird.

Near Fredericksburg, MadMax also reported on the Texas Hunting Forum that the birds were quiet.

“I only heard one bird right before dawn, and then silence,” he wrote.

The lack of noise doesn’t mean the birds won’t come to the call, though, especially later in the day.

“I never heard a gobble,” TripleE, who hunted in Jim Wells County, said on the forum. “Finally had four gobblers show up in front of the decoy without saying a word this afternoon,

and after two hours of soft calling. The big boy was in the field with all the ladies. My fiancée got her first bird ever at 21 yards.”

Numerous reports had the birds gobbling on the limb, but not making a sound after they hit the ground, and most believe it will be another week or two before they get spring fever.

At the feeders, though, the birds are plentiful.

“A guy on the other side of the fence had feeders in his yard, it was like a convention,” one hunter reported.

“They were coming in at a dead sprint and the birds were stretched out from feeder to feeder.”

Gamblinman on the forum summarized most of the reports in a simple phrase.

“God as my witness, I’ve never heard turkeys be this quiet on opening day in South Texas,” he wrote.

Shed hunting is popular, fun and social — and all people need is an opportunity to do it.

At the Sierra Mesa Ranch near Hico, the ranch owners came up with a plan.

“We approached Texas Trophy Hunters Association with the idea of collaborating on a shed hunt at the ranch,” said Casey Carringer, a partner in SMR. “We came up with the logistics, got some sponsors and got it set up.”

The goal was to get 100 people to come to the ranch.

“Within four hours of the announcement of the event, it was sold out,” Carringer said.

On March 10, the guests showed up.

“We put them in groups of eight people and they were driven to different food plots and pastures around the ranch,” Carringer said. “They had three hours to hunt, then we picked them up and headed to lunch.”

The ranch guides drove around in UTVs, checking on the participants and provided water and available first aid.

At lunch, the sheds found were scored and displayed, and the winners were determined.

“People found 75 sheds, and they found nine heads,” Carringer said.

One shed with 9 points was found, and the best matched pair scored in the 160s.

Where were the best spots to look?

“In general, sheds were found near or around food and water sources and along normal deer travel corridors to and from bedding areas,” Carringer said. “We saw some hunters use the grid-pattern search method while others just tried to put on the mileage to find the antlers.”

One technique that seemed to work best was focus.

“Those who were looking for parts of an antler —whether that be a tine, the base, or part of the main beam — seemed to come back with the most sheds,” Carringer said. “They were able to identify sheds that blended into the terrain.”

The largest shed was a 6-point antler scoring 86 inches. It was found a mile away from its matching shed.

The hunter, Trina Barlow, won a Beretta APX pistol for the find.

Other prizes included a Filson bag, Stealth Cam game cameras, Saddleback Leather products, Purina feed, Dokken’s Shed Dog products and more.

Cash sponsors included Rayonier, Capital Farm Credit and Purina.

How will the ranch use the information?

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Researcher turned hunter Quail analyst bags first buck with Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News

Guide Ben Carter congratulates Carl Underwood, right, after he took his first deer with Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Carl Underwood is from Connecticut, but for the past several months, he has been at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch working as a wildlife technician.

When the Lone Star Outdoor News crew came through the ranch in February, Underwood was asked if

he had ever shot a deer.

“I had not,” he said. “I pretty much have no hunting experience, although I did try archery hunting at home a few times, with no luck, and I have been on a few quail hunts at the ranch.”

Underwood, a 2016 graduate of the University of Connecticut, shared his information. A few weeks later, he received a call to go deer hunting.

The 25-year-old, who is planning on pursuing his master’s degree, headed to the West Texas ranch for the hunt.

“The first evening, we hung out

in the blind for a while but nothing came in,” he said. “We started driving around the ranch in the golf cart but didn’t see anything.”

Guided by Ben Carter, the next morning started off the same way.

“We went to a different blind, but nothing,” he said. “In the golf cart, about 30 minutes later, we came across a group of six bucks and they bolted over a hill.”

The pair eventually saw the group again and a buck to shoot was identified.

“I took a shot at a buck but missed,” Underwood said. “I was a little too excited.”

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Park Cities Quail raises $2.2 million Conservation’s greatest night Lone Star Outdoor News Occasionally you attend an event with a buzz, and the 12th annual Park Cities Quail Dinner & Auction was such an event. Items at auction sold for twice what anyone expected in the crowd that could be described as the Who’s Who of Dallas Hunting.

The event has always astounded attendees with the fundraising amounts. The Dallas-based nonprofit shattered its fundraising efforts, though, on March 8, when the 1,100 attendees spent more than $2.2 million.

The live auction featured several hunts, excursions, and experiences, highlighted by a trip using an armada of ships, including a 164-foot Westport yacht, for six couples in the Bahamas. The auction item brought a record $400,000. The fleet’s owner, Carl Allen, then donated a second identical trip for another $400,000.

The auction also featured a pheasant hunt to Paul Nelson Farm in South Dakota with legendary newscaster and 2017 T. Boone Pickens Award Recipient Tom Brokaw that brought $200,000. The winner will be accompanied on the trip by Brokaw, Silver Star Recipient John Wayne Walding and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient Michael Thornton.

“The combined auction prices shattered all-time records,” said dinner chair Clay Huffstutter.

At the event, PCQ awarded its 2018 “T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award” to Rick Snipes. Snipes was presented a specially designed sculpture of three flushing bobwhite quail created by award-winning sculptor Walter Matia.

Snipes has given his life to quail hunting by making his ranch his life’s work, and by serving as chairman of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation from 2006 through 2017.

Park Cities Quail was founded in 2006 when a group of Dallas quail hunters concerned about quail decline

Rick Snipes, left, was awarded the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award at the Park Cities Quail Dinner & Auction by Pickens, right.

Photo from Park Cities Quail.

March 23, 2018

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Junction holds first predator contest At Junction’s first annual Predator Calling Contest, held March 10-11, a total of 20 teams vied for bragging rights and prizes.

The winning team was Carter Plumley, of Junction, and Justin Trimble, of Sterling City. Second place was earned by the team of Colt Brandenberger, of Lewisville, and Bill Allen, of Junction. Raul Villanueva, Cody Fletcher, Colby Blaylock and Josh Stanton finished third.

The biggest coyote was brought in by Garrett Murff, Dalton Schulze, Kobi Wright, and Cooper Hinderliter, all of Sterling City. Villanueva’s team brought in the heaviest bobcat and raccoon. The biggest fox was brought to the weigh-in by Steven Pina, Rocky Huichapa, and Ernie Gonzales, from El Dorado.

The prize for the most fox went to the team of Noah San Miguel, Edward San Miguel, Anthony Mungia, and Michael Mungia, all of Sonora.

After the 24-hour contest, a mouth and hand Coyote Calling Contest was held, won by Clay Pope of A2Z Taxidermy.

Predator calling contests date back to the 1950s in Texas, when the abundance of sheep and goat ranchers caused bounties to be placed on predators. When the ranches converted to other uses and fur prices declined, the predators thrived, taking their toll on whitetail fawn and wild turkey numbers.

The event was hosted by the Kimble County Chamber of Commerce and Junction Visitor Information, along with Hill Country Sporting Goods. Next year’s contest is scheduled for March 9-10, 2019.

formed the nonprofit organization to preserve, restore and maintain upland game, educate youth, and improve hunting opportunities for area sportsmen. Over the past 11 years, the Park Cities Quail Dinner and Auction has resulted in more than $6.9 million in direct donations to scientific research and educational efforts.

—Kimble County Chamber of Commerce

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Nilgai hunts drawn

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The winners were announced to the crowd of hunters hoping to hunt nilgai on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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A lottery to give hunters a chance to bag nilgai antelopes at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge was held March 5.

And for Michael Murphy, beginner’s luck was on his side.

The Carrollton man was one of a total of 81 hunters to hit the jackpot after refuge officials posted a list of the winners out of a pool of 503 applicants.

“I am excited,” Murphy, a veteran seasoned hunter, said. “I am so glad I came here.”

He said he drove Saturday from the Dallas suburb, camped out at the Adolph Thomae Park in Arroyo City and showed early Monday morning to drop his application at the refuge.

“I have never hunted nilgai before,” the mechanical engineer said. “I am trying to

do something new and this is the opportunity for me.”

Murphy was one of 81 hunters selected during the lottery held at 11:30 a.m. The hunts will take place April 7 and 8 and April 14 and 15.

Boyd Blihovde, the refuge manager, said they decided to hold the “emergency hunt” in an effort to reduce the nilgai population before thinning the herd using sharpshooters from helicopters either this spring or summer.

The antelope, native to India, are competing with native wildlife and are known to carry the cattle fever tick more than any other wild animal today.

“There has been a lot of pressure to reduce the herds,” Bilhovde said.

But for Murphy, the chance to bag a nilgaI got better on Monday.

“I went hiking and saw several cows and a bull,” he said. “It was quite a sight.”

Scoring deer on your phone

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News The two hunters were sitting in the deer blind, and the deer weren’t moving. Passing the time, they looked at some photos of a deer their buddy had shot.

“What do you think he scores,” one of them asked.

“Let’s find out,” the other responded, pulling out his cell phone.

The hunter, David Sweet of Spring, was using the Buckscore app he had downloaded. Images taken of the deer were moved into the software, and a score appeared.

Was it accurate?

“It’s pretty accurate if you’re diligent with it,” Sweet said. “It’s a little bit cumbersome to use. It uses point-to-point technology rather than you drawing a line, and it’s Web-based, so you need to have a cellular connection to use it in the blind.”

Sweet had tested the software prior to this particular hunt.

“There was a deer that I had only seen a photo of. When I scored it, the score was much lower than I thought,” Sweet said.

“It surprised me. A good photographer can make a deer look much bigger than it actually is.”

The app is probably most used in analyzing larger groups of trail camera images.

Developed by the Mississippi State University’s Deer Ecology and Management Laboratory, the program uses a database of known measurements from deer around the country, such as ear width and eyeball diameter.

The reference point, with ear width (the database has average ear widths from each state) being the best, is the key to an accurate score.

With good photos of a deer’s antlers, software can help estimate the buck’s score. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Simply add the new buck, give it an identifying name, and put images in the album.

Once the photo is selected, crop it, save it and get your score.

The app estimates antler size including spread, beam length, tine length and circumference.

Image angle and quality is important.

According to buckscore’s website, the best photos for scoring are those at a 45-degree angle, as the reference points and the antlers are most clearly visible.

The online app was reviewed by Josh Fletcher at Bowhunting.net.

“I loaded a picture of a buck that I already knew the score of and that was the buck I shot last fall,” Fletcher wrote. “I used a picture that was taken of me holding the buck and it was not from a game camera. After several minutes of taking measurements, I was given the final score. Buckscore.com was off by less than two inches from what I Please turn to page 21

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Finding sheds

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 23, 2018

DSC members serve on conservation council

Continued from page 4

“We used the sheds to help inform us during our annual herd surveys, as well as patterning postrut buck movement and feeding habits,” Carringer said.

“The sheds allow us to determine the success of our management programs by seeing how well our bucks are growing in terms of antler mass, length and spread.”

Sierra Mesa Ranch (SMR) was established in 1991 with the mission to be one of the premier Trina Barlow, with one of her daughters whitetail hunting and breeding and her husband, holds the winning ranches in Texas, and has deliv- shed she found at the Sierra Mesa ered deer to more than 50 ranch- Ranch. Photo from Sierra Mesa Ranch. es across the state.

Barlow, who attended the shed hunt with her husband and two daughters, said the hunt was a great way to spend a Saturday with family.

“We walked 7 miles and my kids never complained once,” she said.

Barlow found the big shed early in the hunt.

“We split up and I was with my oldest daughter,” she said. “We saw a bare spot in a grove of trees. I looked down — it was so big I thought it was fake. I still can’t believe I found that shed.”

Past president Chris Hudson, Ivan Carter, and DSC Life Members Paul Babaz, Bill Brewster, Peter Horn, Mike Ingram, John Jackson and Denise Walker were appointed members of the newly formed International Wildlife Conservation Council.

The appointments were made by Sec. Ryan Zinke of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The council will provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary, and will focus on increased public awareness domestically regarding conservation, wildlife law enforcement, and economic benefits that result from U.S. citizens traveling abroad to hunt.

“The conservation and long-term health of big game crosses international boundaries,” Zinke said. “This council will provide important insight into the ways that American sportsmen and women benefit international conservation from boosting economies and creating hundreds of jobs to enhancing wildlife conservation.”

The council will advise the Secretary of the Interior on the benefits that international recreational hunting has on foreign wildlife and habitat conservation, anti-poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking programs, and other ways in which international hunting benefits human populations in these areas.

The duties of the council will be solely advisory and will include, but not be limited to:

• •

•

• • • •

Develop a plan for public engagement and education on the benefits of international hunting.

Review and make recommendations for changes, when needed, on all federal programs, and/or regulations, to ensure support of hunting as: An enhancement to foreign wildlife conservation and survival; an effective tool to combat illegal trafficking and poaching; an economic engine and job-creating force for local communities.

Develop strategies to benefit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s permit office in receiving timely country data and information so as to remove barriers that impact consulting with range states.

Recommend removal of barriers to the importation into the United States of legally hunted wildlife.

Ongoing review of import suspension/bans and provide recommendations that seek to resume the legal trade of those items, where appropriate.

Review seizure and forfeiture actions/practices and provide recommendations to regulations that will lead to a reduction of unwarranted actions.

Review the Endangered Species Act’s foreign listed species and interaction with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and recommend streamlining/expedite process of import permits.

—DSC

Texas Hunter Products sold San Antonio-based Texas Hunter Products has been acquired by PRADCO Outdoor Brands.

“From our beginning in 1954, the goal at Texas Hunter Products has been to design, develop, and deliver what consumers tell us they want, and PRADCO’s history is very similar,” said Bob Brock, president of Texas Hunter Products. “Businesses built on simple honesty and hard work by good employees endure because these values carry over into the marketplace, where people make their buying choices. We call that a tradition of trust at Texas Hunter Products, and that will never go out of style.”

Texas Hunter Products will continue to operate from its San Antonio headquarters under its current management team. Its manufacturing facility will be moving to a new, 12-acre location this July.

“Our focus at this time is to support the company’s existing operational and growth strategy to ensure continuity in product quality, inventory supply, and competitive pricing,” said Bart Stephens, general manager of PRADCO’s hunting division.

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Olympic shooter in form at World Cup Two-time Olympic gold medalist Vincent Hancock marked his return to international competition after a year hiatus by closing the first International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. The Georgia native equaled the finals world record of 59/60 hits, then won the gold medal in a shoot-off.

Six-time Olympic medalist Kim Rhode won her 11th World Cup gold in Women’s Skeet.

Rhode, a Californian, finished five targets ahead of her nearest competitor with 122/125 hits.

Her teammate Caitlin Connor, of Winnfield, Louisiana, won the silver medal.

Rhode and Connor also won gold and silver together in Acapulco, Mexico in 2015 and 2017.

—USA Shooting

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March 23, 2018

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FISHING

Giant out of Twin Buttes

Big bass in tight

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News Anglers on East Texas lakes are prowling the shallows looking for spawning bass. Just about every lake in the Piney Woods has bass on the beds on the official first day of spring.

Lake Conroe guide Tex Bonin reported that three

bass over 11 pounds were caught last week as water temperatures reached into the mid-60s.

“Our spawn has been a little late thanks to all the cold fronts that have moved through,” said Bonin, who has been guiding on Conroe since 1973. “But it’s coming on strong now. Peach Creek, Caney Creek and Lake

Creek are hot spots. I’ve been seeing quite a few bass on the beds this week. The best place to fish has been on the west side of the lake.

The water temps are little warmer over there with the afternoon sun.”

Bonin said most of the bass they’re catching up shallow are on 3/8-ounce white/chartreuse spinner Please turn to page 13

Spring bass fishing is in top form in many lakes, including Conroe, Fork, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn. Photo by Robert Sloan.

Spring drum run

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Austin Terry, of San Angelo, has fished all of his life, and landed a giant bass from Twin Buttes Reservoir. Photo from Austin Terry.

Angler featured in Lone Star Outdoor News as a youngster lands 13.4-pounder

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News In August of 2011, Lone Star Outdoor News featured college angler Austin Terry, who had visions of catching big fish and fishing on the tournament scene.

At age 9, the San Angelo youngster caught an 11-pound largemouth at O.H. Ivie Reservoir. Seven years later, he won the Texas State Junior Bassmaster Championship at Lake Amistad.

On March 14, he landed a giant while fishing at Twin Buttes Reservoir near his San Angelo home. The lake hadn’t produced at 13-plus-pound fish in more than 28 years, but Terry’s 13.4-pound fish changed that.

Terry has fished the lake for years, and was shocked the lake had fish that big.

“You could almost walk across the lake a few years ago,” he said. “Normally, a 4- to 5-pounder is a big fish out there. But I guess a few fish survived the drought, I caught a 10-pounder a few weeks before the big fish.”

The lunker hit a “big-old (Santone 1/2-ounce River Rat) spinner bait” in less than 4 feet of water, Terry said.

“It was pretty exciting,” he said.

Big black drum are being landed along the Texas coast, with fresh dead blue crab being the bait of choice. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Please turn to page 11

The black drum run is going strong just about anywhere you can soak a fresh dead blue crab along the Texas coast.

This past weekend, black drum up to 46 pounds were caught off the Sabine jetties. And at Galveston, anglers soaking fresh dead shrimp and crabs at the jetties and in the ship channel caught drum ranging from 15 to 30 pounds on just about any moving tide.

On the middle Texas coast catches of black drum are about as good as they get at Mitchell’s Cut, Pass Cavallo and the jetties. If you want to catch a big fish, take a photo and show your friends and family, now is the time to do it.

Capt. Mike Williams said the numbers of black drum they are catching at the Galveston jetties are as good as he’s seen in years.

“So far it’s been a good run, and should continue into mid-April,” he said. “A lot of people think you can only catch these fish at the jetties. But they are in the ship channel, the bays and on up to the Texas City dike.”

Williams says the average size is anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds. But his heaviest to date weighed 60 pounds.

It was caught on half of a fresh dead blue crab.

“Something that people need to understand is that black drum will not eat a rotten crab,” Williams said. “It’s got to be fresh dead. Or, you can take a live blue crab, freeze it and it’ll catch fish when you’re ready to go. Fresh dead shrimp will also catch black drum, especially the smaller ones in the 2- to 4-pound class. The one bait they don’t particularly care for is a mullet.”

Williams, who has been running Galveston fishing charters for decades, said he likes to fish half of a blue crab on an 8/0 hook with about a 4- to 6-ounce weight.

About 30-pound test line is good, with a 50-pound test leader. A favorite rig up is to run the tag end of the line through a slip weight, and tie it to a 24-inch section of leader. At the end of the leader tie on the hook and you are ready to go.

“The best time to fish for drum is during a hard moving tide,” he said. “That’s when the fish are most active.

Just make sure you have enough weight to keep the bait on bottom.”

Capt. Mike Williams (409) 744-8365

Rudy Grigar honored The “Plugger” a legend of saltwater fishing

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News Many Texas anglers consider Rudy Grigar the hands-down best fisherman who ever waded the bays and surf along the Texas Gulf Coast.

If anybody could catch a cooler full of trout and reds, this man could make it happen. He was born in 1915 and died in 2001. During that time span he was a butcher in Houston, owned a high-profile tackle

store and became one of the first and best-known guides along the Texas coast.

Grigar started fishing in Galveston and eventually moved his guiding skills to Port O’Connor and had a small shack on Panther Point. From there he finished up his fishing career at Louisiana’s Chandeleur Islands.

On March 16, the Texas Saltwater Legends Hall of Fame made Rudy Grigar a member of the team.

“The Saltwater Legend Series is an organization whose sole purpose is to honor the heroes of the sport of saltwater fishing, preserve the history of the sport

and its anglers and promote its values,” said Chad Peterek, founder of the Texas Saltwater Legends Hall of Fame.

It’s designed to recognize the absolute best fishermen that have ever gone after reds and trout along the Texas coast.

“He was an incredible fisherman,” said guide Charlie Paradoski. “Back in 1982, I was going to college at Sam Houston State University and met his son Rudy Jr. He introduced me to his dad and we started fishing together. He had started guiding back in the ’60s. When he left Galveston, I went with him and we both started guiding in Port O’Connor. Rudy

loved it. He was just as much into camping as he was fishing. The whole thing about being out there, away from so many people, was what he really liked. One of the best days we ever had in Port O’Connor was one I’ll never forget. He had a group of customers and they came out of Pats Lake with a boatload of fish. I took my customers to Cory Cove and we had 112 reds and 297 trout. All of our fish were caught on gold spoons. Rudy had an uncanny way of finding fish — lots of them. He was one of the first to use the Solunar tables to pinpoint when the fish would be Rudy Grigar was posthumously named to the Texas feeding.”

Saltwater Legends Hall of Fame. Photo by Robert Please turn to page 13 Sloan.

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Mudbugs, spring fishing go hand in hand

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News It seems like every spring when the fishing action really kicks off, so does crawfish season. With speckled trout, redfish and flounder getting more aggressive each day, and crawfish harvests becoming bountiful, there’s a good reason for anglers fishing Galveston Bay to stop by Pook’s Crawfish Hole to enjoy some freshly boiled mudbugs after an exciting day on the water.

Conveniently located in Santa Fe just north of Highway 6, this family-owned and operated eatery has some of the best boiled crawfish around. Owners Gregg and Jen Vicknair opened Pook’s Crawfish Hole in 2012 with hopes of creating a family-friendly restaurant where anyone would feel right at home.

“We wanted Pook’s to become a place where anyone from a plumber to a brain surgeon could feel comfortable,” Gregg Vicknair said.

Pook’s is a seasonal restaurant that primarily serves boiled, Louisiana-style crawfish with all the fixings for the duration that the mudbugs are in season each year.

“We’ve added some menu items over the years,” Gregg said, “and our main focus is quality and consistency.”

Pook’s also serves boiled crab and shrimp, as well as fried shrimp, seafood gumbo and other Cajun favorites. Their crawfish pies and boudin balls are top appetizer picks from many of their customers.

Vicknair says boiling crawfish is something he grew up around and learned to perfect from his dad.

“Every time we fire up the pot at the restaurant for a batch of mudbugs it always brings back great memories of family gatherings and simple times,” he said. “These special memories were something I wanted to provide to the community and general public.”

Pook’s Crawfish Hole, in Santa Fe, is a favorite stop for fishermen in the Galveston Bay region. Photos by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Vicknair’s dad built a custom crawfishboiling rig when he was a kid, and the concept of his father’s cooker always intrigued him.

“Fast forward many years, and here we are cooking tons of crawfish at one time,” he said.

Pook’s receives shipments of fresh, live crawfish daily from multiple crawfish farms in Louisiana. Live crawfish are available by the sack for purchase from Pook’s for those wanting to cook their own.

Pook’s also offers catering services for private parties to corporate events.

“Through our network of partners we can provide everything from tent services with chairs and tables to DJs, bar services, and other needs,” explained Vicknair. “We really try to function as a one-stop shop for catering.”

One unique aspect about Pook’s is that the restaurant is 100-percent BYOB for adult beverages.

“Not many restaurants offer this luxury to their customers without some sort of ice chest or set up fee,” added Vicknair. “This helps our customers save a tremendous amount of money while enjoying our excellent menu items.”

Slim margin for big winner at Mega Bass

Lee repeats as Classic champion Alabama’s Jordan Lee repeated as Bassmaster Classic champion at South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.

Similar to last year, Lee began the final day in sixth place, but caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 5 ounces to win with a three-day total of 47 pounds, 1 ounce.

Lee, who won last year’s Classic on Lake Conroe, joins Rick Clunn and Kevin VanDam as the only anglers to win the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing two years in a row.

“That part of it hasn’t set in for me,” Lee said. “It was just a perfect week for me. I caught fish on five different baits and a lot of different techniques.”

Lee primarily fished boat docks.

“I just wanted to cover as much water as I could to give myself the best chance of putting a bait in front of a fish,” he said. “On this lake, I knew boat docks were going to play because they always do — and that’s what I like to do.”

Lee alternated between a Strike King Rage Swimmer and two Strike King stick baits — an Ocho and a Shimmy Stick. Green/pumpkin and green pumpkin/blue were his primary colors. He also threw a jerkbait and a homemade bladed jig.

Last year, Lee started the Classic’s final day in 15th place. Once again, he hit the jackpot on the final day.

“Today, I went in the back of this one little pocket and the water was 57 degrees,” he said. “I caught a fish — probably my biggest one of the day — and then it turned out there were bass under every dock in there.”

Lee topped California pro Brent Ehrler by 1 pound. Ehrler was second with 46 pound, 1 ounce, followed by Oklahoma’s Jason Christie, who led the first two days but fell to third place with 45 pounds, 15 ounces.

Texas anglers didn’t fare as well at the Classic, as none made the cut to 25 anglers for the final day. Todd Faircloth finished 37th, Keith Combs 40th, Alton Jones 42nd and Carl Svebek III 47th.

Crappie over the break Continued from page 1

spring break fishing, Webb said.

“We found crappie under the docks has been the most consistent,” he said. “The shooting of the jigs under the docks can be tough for some of the people, so we help them out. Others act like they came out of the womb doing it — and some adults, even after four hours, still can’t do it.”

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Garrett Hall landed the biggest bass at the tournament billed as the world’s richest one-day, hourly big bass event. It was a narrow victory.

Hall won a new Skeeter ZX200 powered by a Yamaha SHO outboard, plus $15,000 for the biggest fish of the hour.

More than 1,900 anglers from 23 states and Canada competed at Lake Fork as Bass Champs hosted its 10th annual Sportsman’s Auto Network Mega Bass tournament on March 17.

Owen Rowland, of Bearden, Arkansas, won the first hour of the event, and $15,000, with his 11.34-pound largemouth. However, at 1 p.m., Hall’s fish was brought in, and topped Rowland’s fish by .04 ounces.

During the last hour, Bryan Toombs, of Royse City, brought in another largemouth that fell just short, weighing 11.13 pounds.

Hall landed his winning fish after seeing his partner have luck with a white chatterbait.

“I tied one on, too,” he said. “After my partner broke his bait off I went to the front of the boat to run the trolling motor.”

After a few more casts, the bass hit.

After the fish was netted, Hall tried to fish some more.

“I couldn’t,” he said. “So we headed to the weigh-in. This is one fish I will never forget.”

Hourly $15,000 winners: 8.40 pounds 11.34 pounds 2.50 pounds 2.55 pounds 9.65 pounds 11.38 pounds 11.13 pounds

Page 9

—B.A.S.S.

Please turn to page 11

8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00

March 23, 2018

Anthony Jones, Irving Owen Rowland, Bearden, Arkansas Richard Michaels, Alba Alan Swarts, Mt Vernon Eric Worley, Fort Worth Garrett Hall, Kilgore Bryan Toombs, Royse City —Bass Champs

w w w . d o a l u r e s . c o m 171003_DOA_4.17_Lonestar Outdoors.ad_PT-7_TROUT_5.1x3.45.indd 1

4/17/17 11:35 AM

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March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT ALAN HENRY: Water clear main lake, lightly stained up the river; 54-63 degrees; 6.35’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms, spinner baits, crankbaits and spoons. Crappie and bass are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on punch bait, live perch and live worms.

AMISTAD: Water murky; 7276 degrees; 22.95’ low. Black bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on slabs and small spinner baits up the Rio Grande. Catfish are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers and cheese bait over baited holes.

ARROWHEAD: Water fairly clear; 56-64 degrees; 2.22’ low.

Black bass are fair on Texas rigs and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

ATHENS: Water stained; 57-62 degrees; 0.38’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, shaky-head worms and weightless plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait.

AUSTIN: Water stained; 57-64 degrees; 0.79’ low. Black bass are fair on chrome lipless crankbaits, Texas rigs, shallow-running crankbaits and jigs. Sunfish are fair on cut nightcrawlers. Catfish are good on live bait and nightcrawlers.

BASTROP: Water stained; 72-76 degrees. Black bass are fair on red/white spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait, liver, shrimp and minnows.

BELTON: Water stained; 70-74 degrees; 2.43’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on silver striper jigs. White bass are fair on silver spoons and light blue jigs. Crappie are excellent on minnows under lights at night. Channel and blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers and hot dogs.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 57-61 degrees; 192’ high. Black bass are good on shallow crankbaits, swim jigs and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained to murky in the creeks; 59-63 degrees; 0.83’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, bladed jigs and shallow crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BONHAM: Water stained to muddy; 56-59 degrees; 0.08’ low. Black bass are fair on small crankbaits around shoreline rocks and boat docks. Crappie are good on minnows in shallow cover. Catfish are good along creek channel with cut shad.

BRAUNIG: Water murky. Black bass are fair on chartreuse lipless crankbaits and soft plastic worms near the dam. Striped bass are fair downrigging silver and gold spoons and marble spinners near the dam. Redfish are slow. Channel catfish are fair on liver and nightcrawlers near the discharge. Blue catfish are fair on live bait and cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water lightly stained to stained, 58-61 degrees: 0.79’ low. Black bass are fair on shallow and medium crankbaits and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs on brush piles.

White bass are fair on slabs and

minnows. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 69-73 degrees; 3.67’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse jigs and watermelon soft plastics.

White bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on stink bait, minnows and frozen shrimp.

BUCHANAN: Water stained; 71-75 degrees; 4.03’ low. Black bass are fair on jerkbaits and black/chartreuse hair jigs in 12–20 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs.

Catfish are slow.

CADDO: Water stained to muddy; 59-64 degrees; 2.80’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged tubes, spinner baits and bladed jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

CALAVERAS: Water murky.

Black bass are fair on chartreuse crankbaits and lipless crankbaits near the dam. Striped bass are fair on chicken livers, shad and minnows along the shoreline.

Redfish are slow.

Channel and blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers and stink bait.

CANYON LAKE: Water stained; 72-76 degrees; 3.81’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged black worms on shaky jigheads.

Striped bass are slow. White bass fair on bladed lures along the main river channel. Crappie are fair on minnows upriver.

Catfish are slow.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained to stained; 58-61 degrees; 0.1’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, shaky-head worms and squarebilled crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs and minnows.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 71-75 degrees; 25.17’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse/black soft plastic worms and lizards. White bass are good on small spinner baits and minnows. Crappie are slow.

Channel and blue catfish are good on punch bait. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch.

COLEMAN: Water stained; 69-73 degrees; 2.35’ low. Black bass are good on green/pumpkin soft plastics, and on chartreuse lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on stink bait, liver and frozen shrimp.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 88 degrees at the hot water discharge, 72 degrees in main lake; 1.33’ low. Black bass are good on soft plastics and spinner baits in 8-10 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow.

Catfish are slow.

CONROE: Water stained; 69–73 degrees; 0.07’ high.

Black bass are good on green/ pumpkin soft plastics and spinner baits. Striped bass are slow.

Crappie are good on minnows and pink/white tube jigs. Catfish are slow.

COOPER: Water stained to muddy; 60-64 degrees; 5.30’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Hybrid striper and white bass are fair on slabs.

CORPUS CHRISTI LAKE: Water

off-color; 58-63 degrees; 1.18’ low. Black bass are fair on jigs, shad-pattern crankbaits and Texas rigs. White bass are fair on Rooster Tails. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and live shad.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water lightly stained; 58-61 degrees; 0.43’ high. Black bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits, Texas-rigged craws and worms.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs on docks. Catfish are good on trotlines.

FAIRFIELD: Water lightly stained. Black bass are good on weightless plastics, spinner baits and Texas-rigged creature baits along shoreline cover. No report on other species.

FALCON: Water murky; 73-77 degrees; 17.87’ low. Black bass are good on jigs, small soft plastics,and slow-rolling spinner baits in 15-25 feet. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers, stink bait, liver and cut bait.

FAYETTE: Water murky.

Black bass are fair on watermelon/ red, green/ pumpkin and redbug Carolinarigged soft plastics off points. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shad.

FORK: Water lightly stained to stained; 57-62 degrees; 0.04’ high. Black bass are good on bladed jigs, square-billed crankbaits and Texas-rigged craws. White and yellow bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows along bridges and brush piles. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water offcolor; 56-63 degrees; 2.33’ low.

Black bass are fair on Texas rigs and chatterbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on live and cut bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained. Black bass are fair on chartreuse crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and blue/white tube jigs. Catfish are good on frozen shrimp, nightcrawlers and stink bait.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 7074 degrees; 0.08’ high. Black bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastics, and on chartreuse lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Catfish are fair on shrimp, liver and stink bait.

GRANGER: Water stained; 7175 degrees; 0.15’ high. Black bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits, soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. White bass are good on pet spoons and slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 57-61 degrees; 3.41’ high.

Black bass are fair on spinner baits, Texas-rigged craws and square-billed crankbaits. White bass and hybrid bass are good on minnows and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

GREENBELT: Water off-color; 56-64 degrees; 32.64’ low.

Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs, jigs and chrome lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on live and cut bait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 69-73 degrees; 0.12’ high. Black bass are good on

green/pumpkinseed lizards in 5 feet early. Crappie are good on live minnows. Bream are fair on live worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water offcolor; 54-62 degrees; 3.25’ low.

Black bass are fair on lipless crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs.

Crappie are fair on live minnows.

Catfish are good on live and cut bait.

JOE POOL: Water stained to muddy; 58-61 degrees; 0.05’ high. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, shallow crankbaits and Texas-rigged craws. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained to muddy; 58-63 degrees: 9.23’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws, shallow crankbaits and bladed jigs. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines.

LAVON: Water stained to muddy; 58-62 degrees: 5.97’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits, bladed jigs and black and blue jigs. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LBJ: Water stained; 72-76 degrees; 0.68’ low. Black bass are good on Bleeding Shad lipless crankbaits, buzzbaits and wacky-rigged green/pumpkin stick worms. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. Crappie are good on white tube jigs and live minnows over brush piles.

Channel catfish are fair on minnows. Yellow and blue catfish are slow.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained to stained; 58-61 degrees; 1.53’ high’. Black bass are good on square-billed crankbaits, Texas-rigged craws and bladed jigs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 70-74 degrees; 0.39’ high.

Black bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and spinner baits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows in the creeks. Blue catfish are fair on shrimp and shad.

MACKENZIE: Water stained; 54-63 degrees; 74.55’ low.

Black bass are slow. No reports on crappie. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers.

MARTIN CREEK: Water stained; 76-82 degrees; 0.08’ high.

Black bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and spinner baits.

Crappie are slow. White bass are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

MONTICELLO: Water stained; 58-62 degrees; 1.83’ low. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, wake baits and Texas-rigged creature baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait.

NASWORTHY: 53-58 degrees; 1.16’ low. Black bass are slow to fair on lipless crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs. No reports on crappie. Catfish are fair to good on live bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 67-71 degrees; 1.12’ low. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on pet spoons.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are slow.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 5159 degrees; 38.43’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on live bait.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 51-57 degrees; 11.14’ low.

Black bass are fair on Texas rigs, shallow-running crankbaits and jigs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on live and cut bait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 58-61 degrees; 0.58’ high. Black bass are good on Texas-rigged craws, spinner baits and weightless stick worms.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Hybrid striper are good on slabs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water offcolor; 51-58 degrees; 1.02’ low.

Black bass are fair on drop-shot rigs, shaky heads and Texas rigs.

Crappie are fair to good on live minnow. White bass are fair on slabs. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.

PROCTOR: Water murky; 69-73 degrees; 2.12’ low. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are slow.

White bass are fair on jigs and small spinner baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on juglines baited with shad.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 58-62 degrees; 0.05’ high. Black bass are good on bladed jigs, shallow crankbaits and Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

White bass are good on slabs.

Hybrid striper are good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained to stained; 57-60 degrees; 0.94’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 57-61 degrees; 0.63’ low. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows.

Hybrid striper are good on slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 72-76 degrees; 1.72’ high.

Black bass are fair on chartreuse/black crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are fair on minnows and white spinner baits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bream are fair on worms.

Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and liver.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 70-74 degrees; 0.22’ high.

Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are fair on chartreuse jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and green/ black tube jigs. Catfish are slow.

SPENCE: 51.81’ low. Catfish are fair to good on live and cut bait.

STAMFORD: Water stained to muddy; 52-60 degrees; 0.99’ low. Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs. Crappie are slow on live minnows. White bass are fair on live bait. Blue catfish are

n Saltwater reports Page 11 good on cut and live bait.

STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 69-73 degrees; 3.73’ low.

Black bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait and shrimp.

TAWAKONI: Water stained to muddy; 59-63 degrees; 1.00’ high. Black bass are slow. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid bass are good on slabs and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines.

TEXANA: Water stained; 59-66 degrees; 3.34’ low. Black bass are fair on jigs, Texas rigs and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut bait.

TEXOMA: Water lightly stained; 57-60 degrees; 0.89’ high.

Black bass are good on Texasrigged craws, medium crankbaits and shaky-head worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs on brush piles. Striped bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 71-75 degrees; 0.32’ high.

Black bass are fair on watermelon and junebug soft plastics, watermelon spinner baits and crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Bream are fair on worms.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on live minnows, frozen shrimp, liver and stink bait.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 71-75 degrees; 12.20’ low. Black bass are fair on green/pumpkin worms and crawfish crankbaits in 12-30 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and chrome/white jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue/white tube jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and cut shad.

WALTER E. LONG: Water murky.

Black bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on silver slabs. White bass are slow.

Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are slow.

WEATHERFORD: Water stained; 57-61 degrees; 0.08’ low. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs, small swimbaits and Texasrigged creature baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

WHITE RIVER: Water stained; 44-56 degrees; 22.17’ low.

Black bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs and jigs. No reports on crappie. Catfish are fair to good on live bait.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 69-73 degrees; 2.91’ low. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are fair along ledges. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained to muddy; 58-63 degrees; 27.22’ high. Black bass are slow. Crappie are slow.

Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait.

—TPWD

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Mixing weights Continued from page 11

March 23, 2018

Page 11

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Sponsored by

was really primitive. The original is now in the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.”

Digital scales were in their infancy at that time, according to the book, “Honest Weight,” by Bob Terry.

The Toledo Scale Company was the first to use a microprocessor (by Intel) in its retail scales in the 1970s, according to Terry. It was years before digital scales became commonplace. Now, of course, they’re the gold standard for accuracy.

Don’t expect Bassmaster to switch anytime soon, though.

Communications Coordinator JamieDay Matthews can tell you why in one word: “Consistency.”

“In order for us to talk about records, and to make comparisons with the early days, it’s just easier to stick with pounds and ounces,” Matthews said. “Consistency is the main reason.”

Another prominent bass fishing tournament trail, though, hopped aboard the digital train from the get-go.

Bass Champs founder Chad Potts said weighing fish with digital scales prevents a lot of headaches.

“We mainly do it because our fields are so big,” Potts said. “It eliminates a lot of ties. If you’ve only got 100 boats or so in a tournament, you probably have no need for it. But if you’re like us and regularly have fields with 200 to 400 boats — our Mega Bass Tournament at Lake Fork has almost 2,000 entrants — you can end up having five or six ties using a regular scale.”

Ties were also on the mind of officials at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department when they began recording state fishing records in decimals.

“We’ve done it since about 2006,” said Ron Smith, who manages the Angler Recognition Program. “It was done primarily because digital scales were coming into prominence, and we believe they’re more accurate than recording in ounces.”

Smith said TPWD doesn’t “allow ties.”

Even recording weight in decimals hasn’t prevented ties, though, Smith said.

“That’s what we’re trying to avoid,” he said. “If someone ties a record, we don’t record it. You’ve got to break a record.”

Ties still occur because TPWD only records state fishing records out to the thou-

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on the Louisiana shoreline on top-waters and Corkies.

Flounder are fair on jigs tipped with shrimp around marsh drains.

SOUTH SABINE: Flounder are good on the flats on the incoming tide. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Trout are fair to good around Garrison Ridge on top-waters and Corkies.

sandth decimal. Smith said TPWD doesn’t get more precise because it realizes there’s play in every scale.

“Plus, our goal is to promote the sport,” Smith said.

“We’re not the IGFA.” The International Game Fish Association, by the way, still uses pounds and ounces to list its world fishing records. And it’s no stickler when it comes to ties. That’s why there’s a tie for the all-tackle largemouth bass world record between George Perry (1932) of Georgia and Japanese angler Manabu Kurrita (2009). They’re both credited with catching a largemouth weighing 22 pounds and 4 ounces.

Ties are rare on the Bassmaster fishing tour, but they have happened.

There have been four ties since 2009.

The last one occurred in 2013 at the Bassmaster Southern Open on Lake Toho in Florida. Rich Howes and Danny Lanier Jr. finished in a tie with 47 pounds, 2 ounces.

By Bassmaster rules, they came back the next day for a fish-off. Howes won with a 9-pound, 10-ounce bag.

With both traditional and digital scales still on the market, there can be confusion. Field & Stream in 1994 featured a 17-year-old student, Shawn Keener, who was told the brook trout he caught weighed 6 pounds and 6 ounces. However, Keener noticed the weight was actually 6.6 pounds, which converts to 6 pounds and 9.6 ounces. Suddenly, he was the new Pennsylvania state record holder.

TPWD’s Smith, who does such conversions regularly, can relate.

“I’ve made that error myself, especially when we first started,” he said. “I now have a thing tacked next to the computer so I know what an ounce is in decimals.”

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on top-waters around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while drifting potholes on scented plastics and DOA Shrimp. Black drum and redfish are good on crabs at East Cut. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on DOA Shrimp in 3-4 feet of water. Black drum, redfish and sheepshead are good at the jetty. Flounder are fair to good on the spoils along the ICW. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good at Gas Well Flats on live shrimp. Redfish and snook are fair to good on the flats and in South Bay on DOA Shrimp and live shrimp.

—TPWD

San Angelo lunker Continued from page 8

Fisherman’s favorite Continued from page 9

Vicknair said their customers have become apart of their family and they are regularly referred to as “Team Pook’s.”

“We have folks that line up hours before we open and even folks that challenge each other to see who can get here first on opening day each year,” he said. “It’s amazing to see our longtime supporters wearing their original Pook’s shirts or hats while talking to us about how they enjoy the food season after season or how they go into a slight depression when we close for the year. We absolutely love our customers.”

Santa Fe resident and local Galveston Bay angler, Ryan Welch, has become a regular at Pooks over the past several years.

“Pook’s Crawfish Hole is my favorite place to eat mudbugs in the Galveston area,” he said. “It’s always a good day when you can catch some fish on Galveston Bay in the morning, and then stop by Pook’s to eat some hot crawfish and enjoy a cold beverage in the afternoon. This is something I look forward to each spring season.”

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Catfish are good around Long Island Bayou and shrimp. Redfish are fair to good around the spillway on live bait.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good on the south shoreline on MirrOlures and Corkies.

Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Black drum are fair to good in the Ship Channel on crabs.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working shell on live shrimp and scented plastics. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Redfish are good in the back lakes on shrimp and scented plastics.

TEXAS CITY: Black drum are good in are channel on crabs. Trout are fair on the reefs on live shrimp on the incoming tide.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay and Bastrop Bay. Black drum and redfish are good at the jetties on cracked blue crabs.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair to good while drifting deep shell with plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are fair for drifters in the back lakes on live shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good on the edge of Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on crabs. Trout are fair to

good for waders on Down South Lures over sand and grass.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics over soft mud. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in MorrisCummings Cut on free-lined shrimp. Black drum are good in the Lydia Ann Channel on crabs. Redfish are good in the back of Allyn’s Bight on scented plastics, mullet and shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: Black drum are good in the Shrimpboat Channel on crabs and finger mullet. Redfish, black drum and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on scented plastics and live shrimp. Black drum and redfish are fair to good in the Packery Channel on crabs.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good for wader working the King Ranch shoreline on Gamblers, Down South Lures, Bass Assassins and Corkies. Black drum are good in the Land Cut on crabs. Trout are fair to good in the Land Cut on live shrimp.

“You’re never expecting to catch one like that, even on places like Lake Fork. But you’re especially not expecting it on a lake where you only catch 5-pounders.”

Terry was on the water in Oklahoma on March 19, practicing for the Costa FLW event that started on March 21. He had qualified for the FLW Tour and tried it for four years.

“I started out doing pretty well but then I slowed down,” he said. “I plan to get back on it next year.”

Over the winter, Terry guided mule deer and whitetail hunters at two different locations in Mexico.

“After four months of that, I was ready to come home and fish,” he said.

Terry said the water level at Twin Buttes is dropping quickly, and hopes rains will replenish the lake to avoid the problems of a few years ago.

“One of our struggles in West Texas is chronic drought,” said Lynn Wright, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries district supervisor for San Angelo. “But despite the low water levels the bass populations are doing great out here. I think a lot of people are going to take notice and we may see an uptick in fishing pressure up here in West Texas.”

Limit on kingfish upped

Pook’s specializes in boiled crawfish with all the fixings. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

The king mackerel recreational bag limit increased from two to three fish per person, per day on March 16.

In January, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted a temporary exception that increases the daily bag limit of king mackerel from two to three fish in state water.

This exception is effective until Aug. 31, at which time a new statewide regulation currently under review may also increase the daily bag limit from two to three fish.

Recently, the federal government increased the bag limit on king mackerel in federal water to three fish per person, per day. To be consistent with federal regulations and reduce confusion for anglers fishing in state and federal waters, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Coastal Fisheries Division recommended also increasing the daily bag limit for king mackerel in state waters.

—TPWD Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News

Page 12

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER LOW PRICE A RED FLAG An individual attempting to register a bass boat and motor claimed he bought the boat for $700, $300 for the boat and $400 for the motor.

Game wardens with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Marine Theft Investigation Unit were notified. The seller was contacted and informed the investigator he had sold the boat for $7,500. The boat’s new lienholder verified the new owner had borrowed $7,500 for the purchase. The warden then went to the buyer’s house and as he pulled up he observed a nice bass boat in the garage and the subject sitting in the driver’s seat. The warden greeted the man, admired the boat and asked how much he had paid for the vessel. The new boat owner told the warden he bought it for $7,500. He then changed his story to $700. The warden then asked him how much the Credit Union had given him for the boat and he replied $7,500. Faced with the prospect of being charged with falsifying a government document, the boat owner admitted he had presented false information on the registration and boat titling forms and agreed to pay the rest of his taxes and penalties.

TOSSING THE EVIDENCE OVERBOARD On the Neches River near the Cherokee/Anderson County line, game wardens observed a jonboat headed in their direction. The driver of the boat saw the wardens and tossed a wire basket overboard.

Upon further investigation, it was found the two guys had been fishing the Neches River for quite some

A LONG NIGHT AFTER LEAVING THE BAR The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office contacted game wardens after a disturbance call where the man who opened the door was covered in blood, and told deputies he had killed two deer after leaving a local bar and was skinning the deer in

time with an illegal wire hoop net fish basket and had trapped several catfish. The wardens were unsuccessful in locating the wire basket, but several days later returned to the site with a drag hook and were able to recover the device.

COMING CLEAN A Grimes County game warden received a call from an individual wanting to talk with him about some illegal activities he had been a part of with the intention of getting his life back in order. The subject admitted to shooting a deer with a rifle even though he was a convicted felon. After a long investigation, it was determined that he used a friend’s rifle to shoot a deer on a property that he was working on at the time. A charge for a felon in possession of a firearm has been filed.

YOU LOOK FAMILIAR An off-duty Montgomery County game warden observed an individual who had provided him with false information in the spring of 2017 following a fishing license violation.

his backyard. The warden obtained a confession from two individuals that the deer were shot at night with the aid of a light. One man was arrested, as he also was a felon in possession of a firearm.

The deer and a firearm were seized.

The warden had been granted an arrest warrant for that individual.

The subject was placed in custody without incident and booked on four outstanding misdemeanor warrants.

GOOSE POACHERS GOT HUNGRY A Texas game warden received a call from a local farmer who had witnessed individuals in a black pickup truck shoot several geese from the road. While searching for the vehicle, the warden passed by a local barbecue joint where he noticed a vehicle matching the description. He made contact with two suspects who had been goose hunting earlier that day. The suspects admitted they drove down the county road while one suspect in the bed of the truck shot at the geese. Four snow geese were seized and citations and civil restitution are pending.

FOLLOWING SOME BAD ADVICE Well after the close of deer hunting season, Comal County game wardens responded to a report regarding illegal hunting. The caller

said he had heard several small caliber rounds being fired on the neighboring property and believed the individual to be hunting deer out of season. The wardens responded, discovered two deer carcasses and questioned the property owner. The man said he shot the deer to keep them from eating his shrubbery and various ornamental plants inside of his high fence.

When asked why he left the deer to rot, the man said he had heard if he shot the deer but didn’t harvest the meat he wouldn’t be in violation.

The wardens explained this was not the case, and informed him he had committed various violations by killing the deer out of season, hunting without a license, with illegal means, and failure to keep in edible condition.

JUST OVER THE LIMIT At Lake Granger, a Williamson County game warden made contact with a fisherman who was about to leave. The elderly man said he had a pretty good outing and was headed home with about 30 crappie. The warden inspected the

angler’s water safety equipment onboard his boat, and then checked his fishing license. The warden counted 26 crappie, one over the daily bag limit, and one was short of the minimum length limit of 10 inches. The man said he had been doing this for 30 years and no one ever told him it was wrong.

TRYING TO SHOOT SQUIRRELS LANDS A WARNING A man shooting at squirrels in his yard with a BB gun was observed

by Smith County game wardens.

The wardens introduced themselves and educated the man on the game laws. Warning citations were issued for illegal means and methods and not having a license. No squirrels were harmed.

NETTERS WITH LOAD OF SANDIES Along the Rio Grande River, Zapata County game wardens observed a commercial netting boat come into a cove to check their illegal nets.

The wardens attempted to pursue the boat, but the boat and its occupants made a narrow escape back to Mexico. The wardens seized eight sections (approximately 2,600 feet) of illegal gill net and approximately 500 pounds of fish, including a couple hundred pounds of white bass.

REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000.

CALL OPERATION GAME THIEF AT (800) 792-4263

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March 23, 2018

Page 13

Port O’Connor jetties spring to life

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News The water temperature at the Port O’Connor jetties hit 67 degrees on March 17, and it was game on for a small group of anglers who made the run to the rocks. Guide Dodd Coffey was on the water and fishing at first light.

“We almost didn’t make it to the jetties because of the north wind,” said Coffey, who has been fishing this line of granite rocks for decades. “The north wind was honking and West Matagorda Bay was white capped with 3-foot waves. It was rough. But once we got inside the jetties it was all good. We had three quarts of live shrimp and the first fish we hooked up with were big Spanish mackerel. Then a big school of jacks moved through and wrecked our tackle. We rerigged and on the first cast hooked a pompano, then a cow nosed ray. We ended up with reds, trout, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and pompano on ice. It was a good day to be fishing the jetties.”

Coffey says the most surprising thing was catching the mackerel and pompano in March.

“That was a first,” he said.

There are several sets of jetties along the Texas coast and all provide good fishing. But the Port O’Connor rocks are a bit unusual. They provide a lot of deep water and attract multiple species of fish. Shortly after Hurricane Harvey blew through, catches of snook along the POC jetties were not that unusual. And during the summer months catches of mangrove snapper have been excellent.

Ling and tarpon are not uncommon.

King mackerel are the norm when the blue-green water from offshore moves in. At the end of the day, the POC rocks can deliver.

Robert Anderson has been fishing these jetties since the ’70s.

“They have been good since I can remember,” Anderson said. “I live in Houston. That’s about a two and half hour run from POC. But it’s worth it. The jetties are difficult to fish. But once you figure them out you can put some quality fish on ice. I like to catch trout. So I’m fishing with live shrimp most of the time.

Right now it’s not unusual to catch limits of trout while free-lining shrimp. I use enough split shot to get the bait down in the current, but not so heavy that it ends up snagged on a rock.

“March is when we start catching numbers of trout and reds along the jetties. If I can get a couple of quarts of live shrimp, we usually catch plenty of fish.”

Coffey said fishing the jetties is all about finding the right structure. That means using good electronics that show you the rocks and the fish holding on them.

“When I’m easing along the jetties I want to see what’s below my boat,” Coffey said. “It takes the guessing game out of the equation. When I find what I’m looking for I use a Minn Kota I-Pilot trolling motor instead of an anchor. That allows me to get positioned so I can fish a specific rock or current without having to waste time getting an anchor to hold.

That allows me to catch more fish. And I’m not worn out at the end of the day from pulling up a heavy anchor.”

Fishing along the jetties in Port O’Connor has produced multiple species, including earlier than normal catches of pompano. Photos by Robert Sloan.

Honoring a legend

Bedding bass

Continued from page 8

Continued from page 8

Grigar was known as the “Plugger.” He Grigar became concerned about the was all about wade-fishing and most of number of fish being slaughtered by comthe time he had a 1/4-ounce gold or silver mercial fishermen with gill nets and trotJohnson Silver Minnow spoon tied on. lines.

“He had two favorite lures,” Paradoski “We had found a lot of fish in a big said. “One was a spoon, the other was a cove and had been taking clients in there floating 7M series Mirfor a number of days,” rolure with a black Paradoski said. “Then back, white belly and the commercial fishersilver sides. Another famen showed up and vorite was green, white set out their gill nets. belly and silver sides.”

We came in and Rudy But Grigar wasn’t was so mad he began above trying new lures. cutting up the nets and He and his daughter dragging them out of Dene carved mullet the water. Shortly after imitation lures. that we were at a place “He had been makdown near Seadrift. ing them and one day Some netters came in, I started whittling on put a gun to Rudy’s one and the next thing face and threatened you know we’re makhis life. That’s when he ing lures together,” decided to leave Port Dene said. “I was espeO’Connor and move to cially good at painting the Chandeleur Islands them. Later on, he beoff Louisiana and Misgan making a lure that sissippi.” had a floating plastic Grigar had convertbubble and a 2-foot ed a crew boat into a leader with a small sillodge of sorts at the ver spoon attached. He islands. It didn’t take would pop the floating long for word to spread bubble and the silver about Grigar’s new spoon would flash and fishing destination. He catch trout and reds.” had gone from guiding At one point, Griin Galveston, South gar was working at Pass in Mexico, Port Photo by Robert Sloan Delhomme Sporting O’Connor and then Goods in Houston. the Chandeleurs. He quickly changed the “He was a big hit in the tackle busi- no name islands into a fishing mecca. Beness,” Dene said. “Lots of fishermen from ing sort of a conservationist, Grigar made everywhere along the coast came in to reefs out of beer cans and planted oysters specifically talk to my dad. He sold a lot on them. of lures.”

Grigar and his wife were married for 60 When he left Delhomme, Grigar opened years with four children. When she had a up his on place called Rudy Grigar’s Pro stroke and was placed in a nursing home, Tackle Shop. That store is where the con- he left the islands and fishing behind for cept of the Gulf Coast Conservation As- good. He moved into the nursing home sociation began. and slept beside her until she died.

baits with a single gold blade. Black lizards with a chartreuse tail are good, as are Brush Babies and wacky worms.

On Lake Fork, guide Jason Smith reports that the bass spawn had been off earlier this month. But as of March 17, they were moving up to spawn in big numbers.

“We’ve finally got lots of bass on the beds,” Smith said. “The water has been colder than normal for this time of year.

Last year our best spawn was in March. This year it’s going to be in April. Right now the water temperature is holding in the lower 60s. On March 16 we caught bass weighing 7 and 5 pounds off the beds.”

Smith’s go-to lures during the spawn are Senkos in black and blue or a bream pattern.

He also recommends fishing 1/2-ounce jigs in green/purple and blue or a bluegill color pattern.

Some of the best creeks on the lake right now are Caney, Birch and Glade.

Toledo Bend guide Greg Crafts reported that they are on a late spawn due to a 5-foot rise of the lake level from all the rain William Flournoy prepares to release a nice bass East Texas received a few weeks ago. from Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Photo by Robert “Things are beginning to settle down Sloan. now, and as of last week we had lots of bass on the beds,” Crafts said. “The water temperature is around 64 degrees and the high water has pushed bass up in the bushes.

We’ve got about 80 miles of lake here and lots of tributaries that are as big as some lakes. The bass are going to be scattered. Right now I’m using spinner baits and cranks to find bass. Once I catch a couple I’ll slow down and fish slower with jigs, craw worms and flukes.”

Anglers on Sam Rayburn have seen the bass move up and spawn and then go into postspawn behavior, according to tournament angler William Flournoy.

“We had a big rise on the lake a couple of weeks back,” he said. “Right now it’s about 2 to 3 feet high, and slowly going down. That much water movement has made things a little tough. I was out on the lake a few days ago and we caught about 15 postspawn bass. But now we’re starting to see more bass on the beds, but they are way back in the bushes and on the shallow side of the grass in the creeks.”

The lake is still off-color so that means a lot of anglers are blind-casting to spawning bass. Flournoy said the best pattern is to fish wacky worms, Senkos and jigs real slow along bottom.

“I think we’ve got another wave of spawning bass moving up right now,” he said.

“We’ll more than likely have some big bass caught during the next couple of weeks.”

Jason Smith Greg Crafts Tex Bonin

(214) 672-3545 (409) 787-3664 (713) 252-4290

Page 14

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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HEROES

Ryker Catlett, of Lavernia, caught this bass while fishing with his K-Pop, Kevin Owen, on Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo during his spring break.

Harry Livings shot this javelina at the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area in February. He was a standby hunter who won a draw to hunt.

Grayson Hogue, 11, of Midlothian, caught this nice Hill Country trout while fishing with family during spring break.Â

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

n Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

Email them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

Brooklyn Thurman, 13, of Dallas, harvested his first buck while hunting with his father, Spencer, on his grandfather’s ranch in LaSalle County. He used a .30-06 to take the 9-pointer at 150 yards.

Jim Center shot this hog near Batesville under an All Seasons Boar Light.

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March 23, 2018

Page 15

Deer surveys with drones Continued from page 1

When thermal and infrared equipment was used, the sightings were better, providing “views” of a much higher percentage of the animals.

Distinguishing the deer from other animals could present a challenge in the surveys, though.

“The areas we were surveying didn’t have pigs or exotics,” DeYoung said.

“You see blobs with the thermal equipment, but you don’t know for sure what it is — especially if it doesn’t move.

There would need to be some objective protocol for animal sightings.”

Still, DeYoung said the conclusions were promising for the use of drones in deer surveys.

“I think they are going to need to use the thermal and infrared for white-

Joshua Creek Ranch nominated for lodge of the year For the third straight year, Joshua Creek Ranch, in Boerne, has been recognized as a finalist for the Orvis Endorsed Wingshooting Lodge of the Year.

For the past two years, a Joshua Creek guide has been nominated for the Orvis Endorsed Wingshooting Guide of the Year. In 2017, Eric Harrison won the honor, and this year, guide Joseph Zinsmeyer has been nominated.

tailed deer,” he said. “They would see a fairly high proportion of the deer and the counts were similar to helicopter counts. The regular camera used didn’t perform as well.”

Many South Texas ranchers are more interested in the fawn to doe and buck to doe ratios than the total deer count on their ranch, presenting another challenge for drone surveys.

“It was difficult to distinguish fawns from does and bucks from does,” DeYoung said.

Drone flights have their benefits, DeYoung said.

“It can be cheaper and you can look at the footage more than once,” he said.

“It’s a different kind of survey, and you could compare the results with other

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As advancements are made in drone technology, they may become an effective alternative in conducting deer surveys. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

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types of surveys for consistency.”

For daytime video, the results weren’t very promising, though.

“We saw low numbers of the deer,” DeYoung said. “You’re basically just flying a little bitty — and not very noisy — helicopter over the property.”

DeYoung felt drone surveys for whitetails is still a work in progress.

“There are different and better kinds of cameras coming out all the time,” he said. “It’s still early in the evaluation stage. We can look at what proportion of deer we are seeing, how consistent the results are, when is the best time with the most visibility and how best to fly the drones to get a good sample.”

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fiRE PiTs • Features swivel grill, Dutch oven support, fire poker & ash pan • 3 sizes: 38” Texas, 30” Junior or 24” Tailgater GReAT BAll OF FiRe WilDliFe sCEnE EmbELLishED fiRE PiT No two alike, each one a work of art!

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Page 16

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases

First

Full

Last

New

Mar 24

Mar 31

Apr 8

Apr 15

Solunar Sun times Moon times

Houston

Dallas

2018 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar/Apr Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2018 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar/Apr Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

23 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 01 Sun 02 Mon 03 Tue 04 Wed 05 Thu 06 Fri

23 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu

11:26 5:12 12:02 6:11 12:54 7:09 1:50 8:05 2:43 8:57 3:33 9:47 4:22 10:35

11:55 5:41 12:26 6:41 1:24 7:39 2:19 8:34 3:11 9:26 4:01 10:14 4:48 11:01

07:27 07:25 07:24 07:23 07:21 07:20 07:19

30 Fri

5:09 11:22

5:34

07:17 07:44 7:11p

31 Sat 01 Sun 02 Mon 03 Tue 04 Wed 05 Thu 06 Fri

5:58 ----6:47 12:35 7:38 1:26 8:30 2:19 9:24 3:12 10:17 4:05 11:09 4:57

6:22 12:10 7:11 12:59 8:02 1:50 8:54 2:42 9:47 3:35 10:41 4:29 11:33 5:21

11:21 5:06 12:02 6:11 12:49 7:03 1:44 7:59 2:37 8:51 3:27 9:41 4:16 10:29 5:04 11:16 5:52 ----6:41 12:29 7:32 1:20 8:25 2:13 9:18 3:06 10:11 3:59 11:03 4:51

11:49 12:20 1:18 2:14 3:06 3:55 4:42 5:29 6:16 7:05 7:56 8:48 9:42 10:35 11:27

5:35 6:35 7:33 8:28 9:20 10:08 10:55 11:41 12:04 12:53 1:44 2:37 3:30 4:23 5:15

07:21 07:20 07:19 07:17 07:16 07:15 07:14 07:13 07:11 07:10 07:09 07:08 07:07 07:06 07:04

07:33 07:34 07:35 07:35 07:36 07:36 07:37 07:37 07:38 07:39 07:39 07:40 07:40 07:41 07:42

11:52a 12:55a 12:47p 1:57a 1:47p 2:57a 2:51p 3:53a 3:55p 4:45a 5:00p 5:32a 6:04p 6:15a 7:05p 6:55a 8:05p 7:33a 9:04p 8:09a 10:02p 8:46a 10:58p 9:24a 11:53p 10:03a NoMoon 10:45a 12:46a 11:30a

11:47

07:16 07:15 07:13 07:12 07:11 07:10 07:08

07:39 07:40 07:41 07:41 07:42 07:43 07:44 07:45 07:46 07:46 07:47 07:48 07:48 07:49

11:52a 12:47p 1:47p 2:51p 3:57p 5:03p 6:08p

1:07a 2:10a 3:09a 4:05a 4:56a 5:42a 6:24a 7:02a

8:12p 7:39a 9:12p 8:14a 10:11p 8:49a 11:09p 9:26a NoMoon 10:04a 12:04a 10:46a 12:58a 11:30a

San Antonio

Amarillo

2018 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar/Apr Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2018 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Mar/Apr Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

23 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 01 Sun 02 Mon 03 Tue 04 Wed 05 Thu 06 Fri

23 Fri 24 Sat 25 Sun 26 Mon 27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat 01 Sun 02 Mon 03 Tue 04 Wed 05 Thu 06 Fri

11:33 5:19 12:09 6:18 1:01 7:16 1:57 8:11 2:50 9:04 3:40 9:54 4:28 10:41 5:16 11:29 6:04 ----6:54 12:42 7:45 1:33 8:37 2:25 9:30 3:18 10:23 4:11 11:15 5:03

----12:33 1:31 2:26 3:18 4:07 4:54 5:41 6:29 7:18 8:08 9:01 9:54 10:47 11:39

5:47 6:47 7:45 8:41 9:32 10:21 11:08 11:54 12:16 1:06 1:57 2:49 3:42 4:35 5:27

07:33 07:32 07:31 07:30 07:29 07:28 07:26 07:25 07:24 07:23 07:22 07:21 07:19 07:18 07:17

07:46 07:46 07:47 07:47 07:48 07:49 07:49 07:50 07:50 07:51 07:51 07:52 07:53 07:53 07:54

12:06p 1:08a 1:01p 2:09a 2:01p 3:09a 3:04p 4:05a 4:09p 4:57a 5:14p 5:44a 6:17p 6:28a 7:18p 7:08a 8:18p 7:46a 9:17p 8:22a 10:14p 8:59a 11:10p 9:37a NoMoon 10:17a 12:05a 10:59a 12:58a 11:44a

11:47 5:32 12:22 6:32 1:15 7:29 2:10 8:25 3:03 9:17 3:53 10:07 4:42 10:55 5:30 11:42 6:18 12:06 7:07 12:55 7:58 1:46 8:51 2:39 9:44 3:32 10:37 4:25 11:29 5:17

----12:46 1:44 2:39 3:32 4:21 5:08 5:55 6:42 7:31 8:22 9:14 10:08 11:01 11:53

6:01 7:01 7:59 8:54 9:46 10:34 11:21 ----12:30 1:19 2:10 3:02 3:56 4:49 5:41

07:46 07:45 07:44 07:42 07:41 07:39 07:38 07:37 07:35 07:34 07:32 07:31 07:30 07:28 07:27

08:00 08:01 08:01 08:02 08:03 08:04 08:04 08:05 08:06 08:07 08:08 08:08 08:09 08:10 08:11

12:08p 1:33a 1:03p 2:36a 2:03p 3:36a 3:07p 4:31a 4:14p 5:21a 5:21p 6:06a 6:27p 6:47a 7:31p 7:24a 8:34p 7:59a 9:35p 8:33a 10:35p 9:08a 11:34p 9:43a NoMoon 10:21a 12:30a 11:01a 1:24a 11:45a

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sabine Pass, north Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 2:32 AM 3:36 AM 4:44 AM 5:53 AM 6:57 AM 1:12 AM 2:20 AM 3:20 AM 4:17 AM 5:12 AM 6:07 AM 7:04 AM 12:36 AM 1:23 AM 2:14 AM

Rollover Pass Height -0.05L -0.09L -0.11L -0.12L -0.10L 1.54H 1.63H 1.71H 1.75H 1.76H 1.73H 1.69H 0.18L 0.21L 0.26L

Time 10:19 AM 11:52 AM 1:06 PM 1:59 PM 2:40 PM 7:57 AM 8:51 AM 9:41 AM 10:27 AM 11:12 AM 11:56 AM 12:41 PM 8:06 AM 9:19 AM 10:49 AM

Time 3:07 PM 4:41 PM 6:18 PM 7:14 PM 7:56 PM 3:15 PM 3:46 PM 4:14 PM 4:41 PM 5:06 PM 5:28 PM 5:43 PM 1:29 PM 2:34 PM

Height 1.25L 1.33L 1.31L 1.23L 1.09L 1.61H 1.58H 1.54H 1.50H 1.46H 1.42H 1.37H 1.19L 1.31L

Time

Height

8:26 PM 8:46 PM 3:42 PM 4:12 PM 4:39 PM 5:02 PM 5:21 PM 5:35 PM 5:45 PM 2:39 PM

1.16L 1.06L 1.47H 1.41H 1.35H 1.30H 1.27H 1.25H 1.23H 1.11L

Time

Height

9:14 PM 3:24 PM 3:51 PM 4:13 PM 4:31 PM 4:48 PM 5:03 PM 5:16 PM

1.02L 1.52H 1.40H 1.28H 1.18H 1.11H 1.08H 1.06H

Time

Height

Time 6:53 PM 7:42 PM 9:49 PM 11:49 PM

Height 1.38H 1.38H 1.37H 1.44H

8:35 PM 9:14 PM 9:53 PM 10:32 PM 11:12 PM 11:53 PM

0.92L 0.72L 0.54L 0.38L 0.27L 0.20L

5:43 PM 5:00 PM

1.34H 1.34H

Time

Height

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 2:18 AM 3:21 AM 4:31 AM 5:51 AM 7:06 AM 12:57 AM 2:22 AM 3:33 AM 4:36 AM 5:32 AM 6:26 AM 7:26 AM 12:35 AM 1:16 AM 2:04 AM

Height -0.21L -0.26L -0.27L -0.25L -0.20L 1.30H 1.41H 1.52H 1.60H 1.65H 1.65H 1.62H 0.04L 0.05L 0.10L

Time 10:50 AM 12:19 PM 1:33 PM 2:25 PM 3:06 PM 8:08 AM 9:08 AM 10:09 AM 11:05 AM 11:52 AM 12:36 PM 1:26 PM 8:37 AM 9:47 AM 10:54 AM

Height 1.48H 1.53H 1.57H 1.58H 1.54H -0.12L 0.02L 0.19L 0.37L 0.57L 0.77L 0.95L 1.59H 1.57H 1.55H

Height -0.16L -0.21L -0.23L -0.21L -0.16L 1.16H 1.27H 1.39H 1.49H 1.57H 1.62H 1.63H 0.12L 0.11L 0.13L

Time 10:44 AM 12:09 PM 1:23 PM 2:14 PM 2:52 PM 7:51 AM 8:52 AM 9:53 AM 10:59 AM 12:00 PM 12:58 PM 2:07 PM 8:10 AM 9:30 AM 10:38 AM

Height 1.57H 1.65H 1.69H 1.69H 1.63H -0.08L 0.05L 0.23L 0.43L 0.62L 0.80L 0.95L 1.62H 1.61H 1.62H

Height 0.00L -0.02L -0.03L -0.04L -0.02L 0.03L 0.61H 0.58H 0.57H 0.24L 0.14L 0.06L 0.02L 0.02L 0.04L

Time 5:23 PM 6:17 PM 7:18 PM 8:21 PM 9:08 PM

Height 0.75H 0.78H 0.78H 0.75H 0.69H

11:29 AM 12:17 PM 1:02 PM 8:16 AM 9:51 AM 11:14 AM 1:20 PM 3:34 PM 4:26 PM

0.10L 0.19L 0.30L 0.59H 0.62H 0.65H 0.68H 0.71H 0.72H

Height -0.07L -0.06L -0.04L -0.02L 0.03L 0.09L 0.17L 0.50L 0.41L 0.32L 0.24L 0.17L 0.12L 0.10L 0.11L

Time 8:00 PM 8:48 PM 9:34 PM 10:16 PM 10:52 PM 11:17 PM 10:50 PM 6:01 AM 9:01 AM 10:32 AM 7:36 PM 5:16 PM 5:50 PM 6:29 PM 7:12 PM

Height 0.73H 0.75H 0.74H 0.71H 0.67H 0.61H 0.54H 0.53H 0.54H 0.56H 0.64H 0.72H 0.78H 0.82H 0.83H

11:01 PM

1.24H

9:10 PM 9:40 PM 10:14 PM 10:50 PM 11:24 PM 11:59 PM

0.91L 0.72L 0.52L 0.34L 0.19L 0.09L

5:52 PM

1.22H

Time

Height

Time 1:46 AM 2:51 AM 4:01 AM 5:15 AM 6:38 AM 12:18 AM 1:46 AM 2:56 AM 4:01 AM 5:05 AM 6:04 AM 7:02 AM 12:10 AM 12:48 AM 1:32 AM

9:30 PM 9:47 PM 10:06 PM 10:31 PM 11:01 PM 11:34 PM

0.92L 0.78L 0.61L 0.43L 0.29L 0.18L

Port O’Connor Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 4:24 AM 5:51 AM 7:13 AM 8:27 AM 9:34 AM 10:35 AM 1:17 AM 3:41 AM 5:48 AM 12:27 AM 1:05 AM 1:44 AM 2:26 AM 3:14 AM 4:15 AM

Time 8:09 AM 9:23 AM 10:38 AM 11:44 AM 12:41 PM 1:30 PM 2:13 PM 2:52 AM 3:20 AM 3:55 AM 4:35 AM 5:20 AM 6:10 AM 7:04 AM 8:03 AM

San Luis Pass Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 6

Time 2:43 AM 3:41 AM 4:47 AM 6:02 AM 7:17 AM 12:37 AM 1:59 AM 3:16 AM 4:28 AM 5:35 AM 6:42 AM 12:09 AM 12:48 AM 2:13 AM

Height 0.15L 0.12L 0.07L 0.02L 1.16H 1.03L 0.93L 0.79L 0.64L 0.51L 0.40L 0.34L 0.33L 0.35L 0.39L

Time 6:32 PM 7:04 PM 7:30 PM 7:45 PM 11:21 AM 3:51 AM 5:10 AM 6:23 AM 7:32 AM 8:40 AM 9:52 AM 11:17 AM 3:09 PM 5:00 PM 5:52 PM

Height 1.15H 1.22H 1.25H 1.23H 0.01L 1.21H 1.26H 1.29H 1.31H 1.30H 1.27H 1.23H 1.22H 1.28H 1.32H

Height -0.06L -0.10L -0.10L -0.08L -0.04L 1.00H 1.06H 1.11H 1.15H 1.18H 1.18H 0.16L 0.13L 0.16L

Time 12:27 PM 1:40 PM 2:38 PM 3:20 PM 3:47 PM 8:26 AM 9:28 AM 10:27 AM 11:26 AM 12:27 PM 1:33 PM 7:56 AM 11:02 AM 12:19 PM

Height 1.11H 1.17H 1.18H 1.15H 1.10H 0.02L 0.12L 0.26L 0.41L 0.58L 0.74L 1.17H 1.18H 1.19H

Height -0.04L -0.08L -0.07L -0.03L 0.03L 0.10L 1.14H 1.11H 1.09H 1.08H 1.06H 1.06H 0.04L 0.03L 0.06L

Time 2:37 PM 3:39 PM 4:35 PM 5:25 PM 6:10 PM 6:43 PM 8:32 AM 9:28 AM 10:22 AM 11:18 AM 12:21 PM 1:41 PM 11:39 AM 1:09 PM 2:14 PM

Height 1.25H 1.33H 1.34H 1.29H 1.18H 1.02H 0.20L 0.33L 0.49L 0.67L 0.83L 0.97L 1.13H 1.20H 1.23H

Height 0.01L -0.03L -0.03L -0.02L -0.01L 0.04L 0.97H 1.00H 1.02H 1.02H 1.01H 1.00H 0.07L 0.04L 0.05L

Time 3:00 PM 3:43 PM 4:21 PM 4:55 PM 5:20 PM 3:41 PM 8:50 AM 9:48 AM 10:47 AM 11:46 AM 12:42 PM 1:35 PM 9:21 AM 10:32 AM 2:35 PM

Height 1.02H 1.08H 1.10H 1.06H 0.97H 0.88H 0.12L 0.24L 0.39L 0.54L 0.68L 0.80L 1.00H 1.00H 1.00H

Height -0.10L -0.15L -0.15L -0.13L -0.07L 0.02L 1.12H 1.17H 1.22H 1.26H 1.29H 1.31H 0.07L 0.05L 0.07L

Time 12:20 PM 2:03 PM 3:16 PM 4:06 PM 4:37 PM 4:44 PM 8:47 AM 9:47 AM 10:48 AM 11:50 AM 12:56 PM

Height 1.29H 1.36H 1.39H 1.36H 1.26H 1.13H 0.15L 0.32L 0.50L 0.68L 0.84L

9:08 AM 10:34 AM 11:55 AM

1.32H 1.34H 1.34H

Time

11:51 PM 7:48 PM 12:16 PM 1:07 PM 1:57 PM 2:47 PM 3:39 PM 4:36 PM 5:47 PM

Time

8:56 9:16 4:04 4:19 4:33 4:48 5:03 5:17 2:48

Height

1.10L 1.19H 0.04L 0.14L 0.29L 0.49L 0.69L 0.89L 1.05L

Height

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

0.92L 0.86L 1.04H 0.98H 0.94H 0.91H 0.91H 0.91H 0.86L

Time

Height

Time

7:50 7:55 7:58 7:58 8:00 8:05 8:10

Height

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

1.12H 1.06H 1.01H 0.99H 1.00H 1.04H 1.09H

Time

Height

11:10 PM

0.96H

9:39 PM 10:03 PM 10:30 PM 11:00 PM 11:33 PM

0.77L 0.64L 0.50L 0.36L 0.24L

5:26 PM

0.92H

Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 2:05 AM 2:57 AM 3:56 AM 5:02 AM 6:17 AM 7:29 AM 12:17 AM 1:48 AM 3:23 AM 4:47 AM 6:10 AM 9:22 AM 12:02 AM 12:41 AM 1:21 AM

8:46 9:03 6:47 2:50 2:52 3:14 3:39 3:59

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

1.10L 0.97L 0.84H 0.78H 0.86H 0.94H 0.99H 1.03H

Time

Height

Time

Height

10:53 PM

1.15H

9:21 PM 9:42 PM 10:11 PM 10:47 PM 11:24 PM

0.79L 0.59L 0.39L 0.22L 0.10L

Port Aransas

8:29 7:58 5:30 1:47

PM PM PM PM

0.51H 0.43H 0.41H 0.41L

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:07 PM 11:48 PM

0.48L 0.36L

4:49 PM

0.45H

Time

Height

Nueces Bay Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 6:00 AM 7:38 AM 9:08 AM 10:20 AM 2:22 AM 12:13 AM 12:39 AM 1:09 AM 1:41 AM 2:15 AM 2:51 AM 3:29 AM 4:10 AM 5:03 AM 6:17 AM

East Matagorda

Freeport Harbor Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 01:46 AM 02:40 AM 03:51 AM 05:25 AM 06:46 AM 07:51 AM 01:09 AM 02:26 AM 03:40 AM 04:51 AM 06:12 AM 07:53 AM 12:35 AM 01:09 AM 01:43 AM

8:53 9:04 3:34 3:24 3:37 3:56 4:15 4:21

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

0.85L 0.75L 0.82H 0.79H 0.78H 0.79H 0.82H 0.85H

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:50 PM

0.94H

9:29 PM 10:02 PM 10:40 PM 11:19 PM 11:58 PM

0.62L 0.48L 0.34L 0.22L 0.13L

South Padre Island

2:50 PM 3:24 PM 3:48 PM

0.28L 0.39L 0.51L

9:42 PM 8:35 PM 7:47 PM

0.50H 0.51H 0.57H

Date Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25 Mar 26 Mar 27 Mar 28 Mar 29 Mar 30 Mar 31 Apr 1 Apr 2 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Apr 6

Time 1:54 AM 2:52 AM 3:59 AM 5:14 AM 6:31 AM 7:42 AM 1:06 AM 2:39 AM 3:59 AM 5:12 AM 6:23 AM 7:41 AM 12:07 AM 12:47 AM 1:29 AM

9:13 4:26 4:10 4:06 4:09 4:11

PM PM PM PM PM PM

0.98L 1.00H 0.93H 0.90H 0.91H 0.94H

Time

9:22 PM 9:45 PM 10:16 PM 10:51 PM 11:28 PM

Height

0.81L 0.61L 0.42L 0.26L 0.14L

Texas Coast Tides

Height 1.53H 1.56H 1.61H 1.63H 1.63H -0.04L 0.07L 0.23L 0.42L 0.63L 0.83L 1.03L 1.63H 1.58H 1.55H

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 23, 2018

Page 17

Page 18

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

INDUSTRY

OUTDOOR PUZZLER OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Solution on on Page Solution Page22 22

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 10

11

12

13

14

15 16

17

18

19 21

20

22 24

23 25

26

28

27

29

30 31

32

33

35

38

ACROSS

30. A good-sized crappie 32. A breed of setter 34. Quiet way to communicate between blind 35. Popular coastal pass for flounder fishing 36. The crane species hunted in Texas 37. A stinging problem in deer blinds 38. A shark species

Outboard engine sales increased 6 percent in 2017, up for the sixth consecutive year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

The R.L. Winston Rod Company and Bauer Fly Reels named Scott Forristall their new president and chief executive officer.

Shimano hires Dufek

Careco hires media group

Gun Digest seeks managing editor

Careco Multimedia Entertainment retained ADM Media & Marketing LLC to represent Careco in both endemic and nonendemic airtime sales.

Gun Digest is looking to hire a managing editor for its Gun Digest the Magazine publication and related online content.

The International Hunter Education Association United States of America is conducting a search for a new executive director.

36

1. A favorite fish of winter Texans 1. A fish life of winter Texans 3. A stage infavorite an insect's 3. Aofstage in an insect’s life 5. Location Texas pheasants Location of Texas pheasants 8. South5.Texas speckled trout limit 11. The fish long enough to take home 8. South Texas speckled trout limit 12. Popular catfish 11. The fishlake long enough to take home 14. A salmon species 12. wear Popular catfish lakethe boat, kill ____ 15. Always when driving 14. A salmon 16. A shooting sport species 17. A fish-eating bird 15. Always wear when driving the boat, 19. Popular kill bass lake in Mexico ____ 20. Used in rod-making shooting sport 23. Bad16. luckAon the boat 17.

A fish-eating bird 24. The white-____ goose 19. Popular bass lake in Mexico 26. Preparing the hide 28. Soil 20. component that retains water Used in rod-making 29. A bluegill species 23. Bad luck on the boat 30. A good-sized crappie 24. The white-____ goose 32. A breed of setter 26.

Preparing the hide between blind 34. Quiet way to communicate 35. Popular coastal pass forthat flounder fishing 28. Soil component retains water 36. The29. crane speciesspecies hunted in Texas A bluegill

Outboard sales up

TRUGLO, Inc. is seeking a director of engineering at its Texas headquarters.

IHEA seeks director

34

37

Across

Job at TRUGLO

New fly industry CEO

8

9

LSONews.com

Down

DOWN

1. An African game species An African speciescover 2. 1.

Tossing a jig game into nearby Tossing a jig into nearby cover 4. 2.

A mule deer hunter's organization A mule deer hunter’s 6. 4.

A good shooting rest organization 7. 6.

A tournament series, A good shooting restBass ____ 9. 7.

A sea duck A tournament series, Bass ____ 10. State known for elk numbers A sea white duck bass lake 13. 9.

A good known for elk numbers 17.10.

AnState outdoor retailer 18.13.

River thatwhite feedsbass Lakelake Livingston A good 21.17.

A versatile flyretailer An outdoor 22. Type of fly River that feeds Livingston 24.18.

Bragging here is aLake bad idea for poachers 21.

A versatile fly 25. A bullet brand Typeboat of fly 26.22.

Bass brand 27.24.

The reptile feared quail hunters Bragging here is by a bad idea for poachers 31.25.

The turkeybrand chick A bullet 33. These pheasants are off-limits for hunters 26.

27.

31.

33.

Bass boat brand The reptile feared by quail hunters The turkey chick These pheasants are off-limits for hunters

Junior to chair National Hunting and Fishing Day Dale Earnhardt Jr. will serve as the honorary chair for National Hunting and Fishing Day, Sept. 22.

Sales manager at Hodgdon Hodgdon named Kent Sakamoto as its new territory sales manager for its west region.

Robert “Brian” Dufek joined Shimano as a regional sales manager.

John Nosler moves up Nosler, Inc. announced the promotion of John R. Nosler to president and chief operating officer. He has been with Nosler since 2001.

Leupold honored The VX-Freedom from Leupold & Stevens, Inc., was named the New Product of the Year for optics category at the 2018 Worldwide Spring Show in Reno, Nevada.

National sales manager named Horizon Firearms and iota Outdoors, of College Station, Texas, announced the addition of Dan Ziebold as national sales manager.

FOR THE TABLE *email LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Snapper, shrimp stew 4 tsps. extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsps. dried thyme 1 1/2 tsps. celery seed 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 cups diced tomatoes with juice 1 cup chicken broth 4 ozs. green bean cut into 1-inch pieces 1 potato cut into 1/4-inch cubes 4 ozs. red snapper, cut into bite-size pieces 6 ozs. small shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tsp. corn starch mixed with cold water

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, celery seed, salt pepper; cook for roughly 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth and green beans, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium, stir in fish and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes more. Add corn starch and water stirring constantly until thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon.

—fishwatch.gov

Blackened wild turkey Alfredo 1 skinless, boneless wild turkey breast 2 tsps. olive oil 2 tsps. blackened redfish seasoning 8 ozs. dried mostaccioli pasta 2 cups broccoli florets 1 cup halved, packaged peeled baby carrots 1 10-ounce container Alfredo pasta sauce 1/2 tsp. blackened redfish seasoning

blackened seasoning. Turn bag to coat turkey. Grill turkey until no longer pink, turning once.

Cut wild turkey into 1/2-inch cubes; set aside. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package directions, except add the broccoli and carrots for the last 8 minutes of cooking.

Drain; return to pan. Stir in grilled turkey, Alfredo sauce, and the 1/2 teaspoon blackened seasoning. Heat through.

Preheat grill. In a resealable plastic bag place the wild turkey, oil, and the 2 teaspoons

—Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 23, 2018

Page 19

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Page 20

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

NATIONAL MARYLAND

MAINE

Lefty Kreh dies

Moose hunters have high success rate

One of the most influential figures in flyfishing, Lefty Kreh, died on March 14 at his Maryland home. He was 93.

Born in Frederick, Maryland in 1925, Kreh reinvented the way fly anglers cast, pioneered the sport of saltwater fly-fishing and developed some of the most successful fly patterns ever tied. Kreh’s books, newspaper columns and magazine articles inspired generations of anglers, and his casting lessons taught thousands how to be better casters.

—Staff report

SOUTH DAKOTA

Pheasant Fest awards At the National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, three local chapters were honored for their volunteer efforts over the past year.

The Mahaska County, Iowa chapter won the Chapter of the Year award. The group spent $1,062,308 since its inception to complete 1,766 habitat projects benefitting wildlife on 17,510 acres, including 12 land acquisitions providing public access to 1,524 acres throughout the region.

The Ingram County, Michigan chapter won the Legislative Action Fund award for contributing $35,000 to the organization’s advocacy efforts in the past year.

The PheasantCountry Chapter, based in Mitchell, South Dakota, won the Chapter Membership award. The group’s 2017 fundraiser brought in 686 new members.

—Pheasants Forever

IS 8-POINTER AT THE GAR LAND, DROPPED TH COLBY TEMPLIN, OF SU A 100-YARD SHOT DIMMIT COUNTY WITH ARENA ROJAS RANCH IN FROM HIS .22-250.

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VERMONT

Three record fish Three fish caught in 2017 have been certified as new state records.

Chase Stokes, 11, of Ferrisburgh, caught a new record carp in April while fishing with a nightcrawler on Otter Creek. The fish weighed 33.25 pounds.

In May, Burlington angler Mike Elwood landed a record redhorse sucker while fishing on the Winooski River in Colchester. The sucker, landed on a live worm, weighed 9.9 pounds.

In September, Alan Franchot, of Richmond, caught a record cisco, also known as a lake herring, while trolling on Lake Champlain.

Weighing 2 pounds, 4 ounces, the cisco was only the second of its species to be entered into the Vermont Record Fish Program since records started being kept by the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in 1969.

—VFWD

MONTANA

Harsh winter takes toll on waterfowl This winter’s near-record cold and snow is resulting in waterfowl deaths in south central Montana.

Jim Hansen of Billings, central flyway biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said dead geese and ducks that he has picked up in the region are emaciated. Those that still are alive are unable to fly from lack of food. Geese which he normally would expect to weight 10 pounds at this time of year weighed less than 4.5 pounds.

Many geese and ducks did not leave south central Montana this winter. Heavy snow arrived in December and it became difficult for geese and ducks to find food in agricultural fields. Eventually more than 84 inches of snow fell in the Billings area.

Eventually, the waterfowl became so weak that they could not fly south even when extreme cold and snow shut off their food sources.

On Jan. 2 and 3, biologists surveyed portions of the central flyway near Fort Peck and along the Yellowstone and Bighorn rivers.

They counted 16,711 ducks and 79,222 geese spending the winter in the survey areas.

—MFWP

Despite warm spells during both the September and October moose seasons, 73 percent of all moose hunters harvested a moose last season.

With 2,080 moose permits issued, 1,518 hunters were successful.

“Weather impacted many hunters, particularly the first week,” said Maine Inland Fisheries and Widlife’s moose biologist Lee Kantar. “Moose tend to travel less and spend more time in cover when it’s hot. Hunter effort also declines.”

The 73-percent success rate for hunters is consistent with the 71-percent success rate for moose hunters over the past five years.

—MIFW

WEST VIRGINIA

Elk back in state For the first time in more than 150 years, elk are on West Virginia soil.

On March 3, dozens of elk captured in Arizona were transported to a release site in the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area in southwest West Virginia.

The elk were captured at the Raymond Wildlife Area through a partnership between the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

A native species, elk disappeared from West Virginia’s landscape when the last documented animal was killed in the Mountain State around 1875 — 10 years after the end of the Civil War. —AZGFD

IDAHO

Mild winter helps elk, mule deer More young deer and elk are surviving this winter in Idaho.

Idaho Fish and Game biologists have been monitoring 244 mule deer fawns and 246 elk calves that were captured earlier this winter and fitted with telemetry collars.

Through the end of February, 88 percent of the fawns and 97 percent of the calves monitored were still alive. That compares with 55 percent of the fawns and 80 percent of the calves surviving through February last winter.

Less snow, especially at lower elevations, and warmer temperatures means fewer animals are likely to die from malnutrition, predation and other factors that increase mortality during a difficult winter.

—IFGD

MISSOURI

Fishing legend Hibdon dies Guido Hibdon passed away on March 10 at the age of 72.

A legend in the bass fishing world, Hibdon won the Bassmaster Classic in 1987 and 1996, the Forrest Wood Cup in 2005, five B.A.S.S. titles and he was the 1990 and 1991 Bassmaster Angler of the Year. He was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2002.

The year after Hibdon won the Bassmaster Classic for the second time, in 1997, his son Dion won the championship, making them the only father/son champions.

—Staff report

OHIO

Kroger removing gun-related magazines Kroger stores nationwide are removing the “assault weapons” magazine category. Kroger operates 2,782 stores in 34 states.

The initial list of titles of 57 specific publications that will be removed include Guns & Ammo, Guns Magazine and Gun World.

—Staff report

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 23, 2018

Page 21

PRODUCTS OZ ACTIVE ODOR DESTROYERS: ScentLok, the maker of Carbon Alloy hunting garments, has introduced a line of deodorizers for an outdoorsman’s vehicle, hunting cabin and more. Designed to reactivate activated carbon garments and deodorize other gear and accessories while also keeping the environments around hunters and their gear as odor-free as possible, these pre- and post-hunt ozone products utilize the latest technology and do not interfere with other odor-controlling products on the market. The deodorizers emit a powerful stream of ozone molecules that seek out and destroy virtually all types of odors and bacteria in their path.

When ozone comes in contact with these contaminants, their chemical structure is changed to a compound that is no longer recognizable as an offensive odor. As ozone continues to attack these compounds, the odor is destroyed through oxidation. The line includes a vehicle deodorizer (about $40); a portable deodorizer (about $100); a small room deodorizer (about $100); and a large room deodorizer (about $150).

>>

Scoring app

>>

Continued from page 6

SUNRISE SILVER MIRROR LENS: This 580 polycarbonate lens, which allows anglers to see better in the low-light conditions of dusk and dawn, is available in many of Costa del Mar’s favorite frames, including the Montauk sunglasses, pictured. This breakthrough lens earned Costa the “Best Eyewear” award at the 2017 ICAST show. The lightweight and scratch-resistant lenses feature encapsulated mirrors and a polarized film that are contained between crystal-clear glass layers that easily handle the rigors of fresh and saltwater fishing. Anglers will appreciate the lenses’ patented color-enhancing technology that selectively filters out harsh yellow light for superior contrast and definition. In addition to reducing glare and eye fatigue, the technology also absorbs high-energy blue light to cut haze and enhance sharpness. The Montauk sunglasses with the Sunrise Silver Mirror lenses cost about $260.

>>

First deer Continued from page 4

>> Carl Underwood bagged his first deer with the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

>>

V&P PERFORMANCE AMMUNITION: Sig Sauer’s Varmint & Predator (V&P) Elite Performance Ammunition features copper-jacketed, yellow-tipped projectiles designed for explosive expansion and match-grade accuracy.

These rounds feature projectiles that are light for their caliber, yielding higher muzzle velocities and flatter trajectories across all practical hunting distances. This ammunition is available in the following calibers: 40 grain .223 Rem; 40 grain .22-250 Rem (about $25 for box of 20 ); and 55 grain .243 Win (about $30 for a box of 20).

MG TURKEY VEST: Nomad Authentic Hunting Apparel’s Mg vest is for hunters who have the utmost passion for the wild turkey. Designed from decades of first-hand experience in the turkey woods, the vest allows optimum organization of a hunter’s gear while providing comfort and ease of mobility on the hunt. The vest costs about $130.

received from the tape measure. I then scored a buck that my friend had shot last year; this buck was off by just over 3 inches from what the actual tape measurement was.”

Fletcher gave the app a positive review, noting it can eliminate the problem of ground shrinkage, but also can cause missing the buck of a lifetime to hurt that much more when you know what he really scores.

If you’re bored in a deer blind, it’s fun to fiddle with, though.

“For an amateur who doesn’t really know how to score deer, you get a real good idea,” Sweet said. “But I think we worry about numbers too much, rather than whether it is a trophy to the person who made the shot.”

Sweet had guided a first-time deer hunter, and they saw a mature, 130-inch 8-pointer, but the buck didn’t present a shot. The next day, a smaller buck came in.

“It was a trophy to him,” Sweet said. “To me as the guide, it wasn’t the deer I would have preferred him to shoot, but he was ecstatic.”

The online app costs $3.99 per month.

FISH STIK: This floating fish-measurement board by YakGear is designed for anglers who fish from tight spaces, such as paddle boards or kayaks. The Fish Stik has a raised 3.5-inch bump board and line slot to improve measurement accuracy, increase angler efficiency, and minimize the stress on the fish. When measuring a fish off the line, anglers can hold the mouth/nose of the fish tightly against the bump board for the most accurate measurement; when measuring a fish on the line, the built-in line slot allows anglers to pull the line through the slot in the bump board to measure the fish. The board is 36 inches long but folds down to 12 inches for stowing. Available in orange, white and yellow — the white and yellow are KBF Tournament-approved — the Fish Stik costs about $34.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE PRODUCTS, CONTACT LSON AT (214) 361-2276

Later, another buck was spotted and identified. Obtaining a good rest on the golf cart, this time Underwood’s shot was true.

“I took the shot at around 200 yards,” Underwood said. “He only went 20 yards.”

After the harvest, the experience grew to full service.

“I quartered and deboned the buck by myself,” he said. “I saved the backstrps, tenderloin and brisket. I ground the rest, mixed it with beef fat and turned it into bratwurst.”

Since returning to RPQRR, he has been feeding the other technicians and his boss, Dale Rollins.

“I think I changed Dr. Rollins into a deer lover again,” Underwood said. “And Casey, another technician from California, is a vegetarian, but she is OK with game meat, so she has been partaking.”

Underwood is creating his own European mount with the buck’s skull.

“I boiled it and scrubbed it,” he said. “Now, it’s sitting on the ground and hopefully the bugs are finishing cleaning it out.”

Underwood’s time at the Texas ranch is nearly over, and he will soon head to Southern California to conduct research on how the massive wildfires have affected the bird populations. Hunting is in his future plans, though.

“I plan to be in Colorado for the next hunting season, though,” he said. “And I’m going to try and hunt a mule deer.”

Page 22

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

DATEBOOK MARCH 23

Coastal Conservation Association San Antonio Sporting Clays Shoot National Shooting Complex (210) 862-2421 ccatexas.org

MARCH 23-25

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Corpus Christi Extravaganza American Bank Center huntersextravaganza.com

MARCH 24

Coastal Conservation Association Port O’Connor Banquet Community Center Pavilion (979) 824-0110 ccatexas.org Ducks Unlimited Kaufman County Dinner Reunion Ranch, Terrell (469) 719-4909 ducks.org/Texas Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Greater Hill Country Banquet Gillespie County Fairgrounds rmef.org

MARCH 24-25

Great Outdoors Expo Lubbock Civic Center goetx.com Lone Star Knife Expo Dallas Market Hall 10timesknife.com

MARCH 28

Ducks Unlimited Dallas Raffle Night Pegasus City Brewery (214) 673-9636 ducks.org/Texas

MARCH 29

Texas Wildlife Association Quail Appreciation Day Botanical Research Institute of Texas texas-wildlife.org National Wild Turkey Federation Palo Pinto Banquet Palo Pinto Co. Sheriff’s Posse (940) 452-8430 nwtf.org Ducks Unlimited Centex Dinner VFW Post 1820, Temple (254) 289-0121 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 6

APRIL 7-8

Coastal Conservation Association Brazoria County Banquet Dow Academy Center, Lake Jackson (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

Austin Canoe & Kayak Demo Days Austin and Conroe (512) 719-4386 ack.com

APRIL 12

Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation Sporting Clays Shoot Dallas Gun Club (972) 504-9008 gootf.com

Ducks Unlimited San Antonio BBQ and Gun Bash Alzafar Shrine Pavilion (210) 722-7787 ducks.org/Texas

Ducks Unlimited Pearland/Friendswood Banquet Knights of Columbus Hall, Pearland (225) 603-1780 ducks.org/Texas

APRIL 13

Operation Game Thief Austin Clay Stoppers Shootout Texas Disposal Systems ogttx.org

National Wild Turkey Federation Williamson County Banquet Georgetown Community Center (512) 818-0415 nwtf.org

OUTDOOR PUZZLER

APRIL 5

Solution on Page 22

Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation Rendezvous of the Guardians Banquet Irving Convention Center (972) 504-9008 gootf.com Coastal Conservation Association Greater Sugar Land Banquet Stafford Centre (832) 863-5417 ccatexas.org Coastal Conservation Association Prairie Chapter Banquet Cat Spring Agricultural Hall (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

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1. A favorite fish of winter Texans [WHITING] 3. A stage in an insect's life [NYMPH] 5. Location of Texas pheasants [PANHANDLE] 8. South Texas speckled trout limit [FIVE] 11. The fish long enough to take home [KEEPER] 12. Popular catfish lake [TAWAKONI] 14. A salmon species [COHO] 15. Always wear when driving the boat, kill ____ [SWITCH] 16. A shooting sport [TRAP] 17. A fish-eating bird [CORMORANT] 19. Popular bass lake in Mexico [SUGAR] 20. Used in rod-making [GRAPHITE] 23. Bad luck on the boat [BANANA] 24. The white-____ goose [FRONTED] 26. Preparing the hide [TANNING] 28. Soil component that retains water [CLAY] 29. A bluegill species [LONGEAR] 30. A good-sized crappie [SLAB] 32. A breed of setter [ENGLISH] 34. Quiet way to communicate between blind [TEXT]

Down

1. An African game species [WARTHOG] 2. Tossing a jig into nearby cover [FLIPPING] 4. A mule deer hunter's organization [MDF] 6. A good shooting rest [BENCH] 7. A tournament series, Bass ____ [CHAMPS] 9. A sea duck [SCOTER] 10. State known for elk numbers [COLORADO] 13. A good white bass lake [LIVINGSTON] 17. An outdoor retailer [CABELAS] 18. River that feeds Lake Livingston [TRINITY] 21. A versatile fly [CLOUSER] 22. Type of fly [DRY] 24. Bragging here is a bad idea for poachers [FACEBOOK] 25. A bullet brand [NOSLER] 26. Bass boat brand [TRITON] 27. The reptile feared by quail hunters [RATTLER] 31. The turkey chick [POULT] 33. These pheasants are off-limits for hunters [HENS]

Puzzle solution from Page 18

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

March 23, 2018

YOU CARRY, JUST IN CASE SHOULDN’T IT BE AN HK ... JUST IN CASE? Preparation is about attention to detail – like forging the short, 3-inch barrel of the HK VP9SK from the same steel we require in the HK416 carbine used by the world’s most elite fighting units.

To those who dismiss this as unneeded “over-engineering,” our response is simple: So what?

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Page 23

Page 24

March 23, 2018

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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