Lone Star Outdoor News 032423

Hill Country bass in spring mode

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

It’s one of the most popular times of the year to chase big bass on Hill Country lakes. Anglers are finding a mixture of smaller, “buck” bass and larger females up shallow over beds. They are also catching some bigger fish out a little deeper, as new waves of largemouths are staging in preparation to move to the shallows to spawn.

On Canyon Lake, guide Tyler Stanley said he and his anglers have been focusing on the edges of grass.

“We are catching fish in the 5-pound class pretty regularly in about 10 to 14 feet of water along the edges of the grass,” Stanley said. “Smaller bass are pushed up a little shallower, but the larger bass are definitely staging along dropoffs adjacent to flats and points.”

Any flat or point that is holding grass is a good place to start.

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Cold turkey

exander to begin his retreat back to the truck. On his way, he noticed a lone tom scratching in a plowed field.

“I was able to duck behind a tank dam and decided to crawl to the top and set out my jake decoy,” he said. “There wasn’t much cover so I crawled back down the dam where I came from and set up real close to use the rise as cover.”

Alexander began his calling sequence and the one tom turned into three — all in a dead run to his decoy

setup not 10 yards from his location. “Those toms made that tank dam in a hurry and I ended up killing one at 4 yards,” he said. “It happened fast for sure.”

As promising as opening weekend was for good turkey hunting, the lack of last year’s nesting success across much of the state was on the mind of many hunters, including Chase Phillips of Pleasanton.

Surprise tripletail from the rocks

By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS

While targeting sheepshead and jackfish along the Port Aransas north jetty with some buddies, James Baker spotted an odd-looking fish swimming just under the surface of the water near the edge of the rocks.

Another angler identified the fish as a tripletail, and a few moments later, Baker was able to successfully cast to and land the 23-inch fish that is rarely seen from that stretch of granite.

“Catching a tripletail has always been a bucket list feat for me, but I never expected to do it along

Freshwater Fishing Report Page 10

Game Warden Blotter Page 12

Heroes Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides Page 15

Datebook Page 18 Classifieds Page 19

the jetties in Port A,” Baker said. “That’s just not something you hear about often along the Coastal Bend, compared to farther up the coast.”

Baker said he and his buddy were wrapping up their fishing trip for the day when the tripletail caught his eye.

“I was using live shrimp

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HUNTING

After years, permits being processed.

What species are they?

“I manage the property pretty heavily for turkeys and this year we have zero poults,” he said. “I have not seen a single jake all year.”

Phillips confirmed there was a lot of gobbling activity in the area, but made the personal choice to refrain from picking up the shotgun.

“Since our numbers were hurting, I decided to kill them with the camera this year,” he said. “The birds were gobbling a ton and I got

some great video.”

Doug Jones hunted near Cotulla and was greeted with hail the day before the opener, followed by a cold opening morning. “It was surprising to hear the gobblers active once they hit the ground, but once the misting rain started, I never heard or saw a bird the rest of the day,” he said. “Sunday morning was the same until 11 a.m. when the rain let up and I heard some activity.

Grant Langmore landed this 7-pound bass on Lady Bird Lake near downtown Austin on a glide bait. Photo from Grant Langmore.

At the north jetty in Port Aransas, James Baker noticed and cast to a tripletail, an unusual sight for the location. Photo from James Baker.

In between breaks in the misting rain, toms became active in the South Zone for the opening weekend. Photo by Chase Phillips.

FROM WORK TO PLAY

WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.

What breeds are they?

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS

When heading to the deer lease, South Texas hunters make a point to stop at the Uvalde Meat Market for one of its top sellers, the bacon-wrapped quail poppers, possibly along with some boneless whole quail.

But where do the quail come from, and are they bobwhites?

Russell Wheeler is the manager at Texas Quail Farms, which sells quail direct and supplies a number of Texas meat markets.

“We raise the coturnix quail,” Wheeler said. “The quail have been domesticated for 2,000 to 3,000 years. They are probably the line of quail mentioned in Exodus in the Bible. Our founder studied under Dr. Fred Thornberry, who helped develop the Texas A&M coturnix, called the Texas Gourmet Quail, 20 or 30 years ago.”

The ancestors of coturnix quail came from Chinese quail that were exported to Japan, where they were bred in captivity for centuries.

“They are real popular in the Middle East, Japan and in Europe,” Wheeler said. “They are gaining acceptance in the states.”

Wheeler said the coturnix quail are a good bit larger than the Texas bobwhites.

According to Texas AgriLife, the average northern bobwhite weighs about 6 ounces. The jumbo coturnix species reaches 12 to 14 ounces at adulthood.

Coturnix quail are the most popular breed for quail farming. Often called Pharoah or Japanese quail, they are easy to raise, have high egg production rates and mature quickly. The breed is known for its calm temperament and has been promoted for backyard raising for both meat and eggs.

“We work hard to keep the birds healthy and happy,” Wheeler said. “Summertime in Texas is harder — they don’t grow quite as quickly.”

As for the poppers people want, Wheeler said they are one of the most common orders with Texas Quail Farms as well.

“We make quite a few of those,” he said.

Elephant applications finally being processed

Hunter’s permit approved after three-plus years

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

More than three years ago, Don Weempe, of Dallas, went on a safari in Zimbabwe and took a bull elephant, his lifetime bucket-list hunt.

At the time, there were no restrictions on importing tusks or other elephant parts from the African country. Zimbabwe had, and still has, an ample, if not excessive, elephant population.

After his hunt, in November 2019, a hold was placed on processing all elephant import applications by the U.S. government, causing a stir in the inter-

national wildlife community.

“I had no idea when I went hunting that this was a possibil ity,” Weempe said. “It happened after I got back. And an elephant hunt is a pretty expensive hunt.”

Following the 2019 decision, Dallas Safari Club, along with import applicants and other conservation organizations, sued the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contending the hold placed on processing all el ephant import applications was illegal and improper under the Administrative Procedures Act.

“The hold had catastrophic consequences on the species it claims to protect,” said Corey Mason, DSC’s chief executive officer. “There were positive en hancement findings in place for Zambia and Zimbabwe at

Do they shed the button?

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS

The older nubbin’ buck Quail at the market

Hunters watched a nubbin’ buck all fall and winter, but the buck’s antlers never protruded through the skin. This spring, they wondered, do they shed the nub or does it just start to grow again?

Usually, nubbin’ or button bucks are four to six months of age as the hunting season gets going, but in March, could be 10 to 11 months old.

Dr. Michael Cherry, a research scientist and assistant professor at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, said it all has to do with testosterone.

“The buck just didn’t have enough testosterone to grow an antler or shed the nub,” Cherry said. “The nub, still being velvet-covered, most likely will just continue to grow later this year.”

However, Cherry said that isn’t something he has observed or studied.

“I can’t answer it for sure, but that’s my expectation,” he said.

Essentially, the nub is simply the pedicle, a bony growth in the skull, and the antler begins growing from the pedicle, according to Natural Lands, a nonprofit conservation group. Once the antler grows, it then will shed each year.

the “The permits were not being hunting.”

When a young buck’s antlers don’t protrude during the season, antlers will grow from the pedicle the next spring. When the buck has enough testosterone, like at right, antlers begin to grow in their first year and then drop off. Photos by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Despite no restricitions on importing elephant tusks from Zimbabwe at the time of his hunt, Don Weempe waited for years to get his permit processed by the federal government. Photo from Don Weempe.

The coturnix quail, also called the Japanese quail, is the species most often raised for supplying to meat markets.

Photo by Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.

Popular storyteller dies

Lone Star outdoor newS

Seasoned hunters and anglers recall the “Wildlife Report,” a monthly audio cassette and CD magazine covering the outdoors, that also aired on radio stations across the state.

The creator, Martin Frederick “Marty” Malin, of Laredo, passed away on March 9 at the age of 85.

The report was narrated in a sound studio but made you feel as if you were sitting around a campfire by the creek listening to a mountain man sharing his adventures in the wilderness. On the “Wildlife Report,” he referred to himself as “The Old Field and Streamer, a lifelong hunter and angler.”

“Such a wonderful friend,” commented fellow writer Greg Berlocher. “Marty invented the podcast before there was such a thing.”

In 2017, Malin was named the 2017 recipient of the L.A. Wilke Award, the highest honor given by the Texas Outdoor Writers Association. Malin is a past president of TOWA, served as president of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and was an active member of the Austin Woods and Waters Club.

One of the greatest outdoorsman ever,” commented friend Bill Andrews. “I still have The Old Field and Streamer’s tapes from his many years of recording.”

Big payout for big bobcat

Lone Star outdoor newS

The team of Ryan Raschke, Trevor Lalk and DJ Moss won the heaviest bobcat pot of $35,530 for a 35-pound, 1-ounce cat at the final West Texas Big Bobcat Contest of the season, held March 18-19 at the San Angelo Claybird Association.

The second heaviest bobcat weighed 33 pounds, 3 ounces, and was brought in by the team of Justin Gilchrest and Jeff Christopher, winning the team $20,260.

Kwentan Williamson, DJ Lee, Jody Kidd and Waymon Taylor weighed in the third heaviest bobcat, at 32 pounds, 6 ounces to win $15,170.

The heaviest grey fox, at 10 pounds, 14 ounces, was brought in by Toby Hallmark and Shane Sanders, earning the team $15,270.

A total of 509 teams competed in the event, the largest payout predator tournament in the world, with this event payout being $116,570. In order to qualify for heaviest bobcat, teams must take either five grey fox or five coyotes (not mixing of the two).

Martin Frederick Malin

Kubecka to leave RPQRF

Two years ago, Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and Tall Timbers Research Station entered into an arrangement whereby Dr. Brad Kubeka would split his time as both the Executive Director of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and Director of the Western Pineywoods Quail Program at Tall Timbers.

On March 20, RPQRF Board President Joe Crafton announced that Tall Timbers has asked for Kubecka to serve full-time as the Director of the Western Pineywoods Quail Program (which is located north of Houston in East Texas).

“With the tremendous growth and success of both organizations, it is no surprise that each organization is at the point where full-time leadership is necessary,” Crafton wrote.

Dr. Dale Rollins will serve as interim executive director of RPQRF until a new executive director is in place.

“We are encouraged by the success they are having in the Pineywoods of East Texas and we look forward to continuing our collaboration and sharing of best practices in the future,” Crafton wrote.

RPQRF has begun the search for a new executive director.

Mandatory turkey harvest reporting counties

Central Texas turkey hunters are reminded to take note of a mandatory harvest reporting requirement in counties with a onebird bag limit.

The counties with the one-bird limit for Rio Grande turkeys are Bastrop, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Jackson, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, Milam and Wharton, and the season runs April 1-30. Regulations require hunters to report their harvest within 24 hours through the My Texas Hunt Harvest app or on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website.

For eastern wild turkeys, the season runs April 22–May 14 and includes Bowie, Cass, Fannin, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River, and Sabine counties and has a one-bird limit.

Also, all hunters who selected a digital tag this year are required to perform mandatory harvest reporting on all harvested wild turkeys.

TPWD said mandatory harvest reporting will allow it to better manage the wild turkey population by allowing for more accurate population estimates, which can be used to assess the long-term survivability of the species.

—TPWD

Permit processing

Continued from page 4

Catherine Semcer, a research fellow with the Property and Environmental Research Center in Bozeman, Montana and the African Wildlife Economy Institute at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, said like in the United States, wildlife agencies in Africa heavily rely on the sale of hunting licenses and permits to fund conservation projects.

“In countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, most of these licenses and permits are sold to Americans,” she wrote. “Permits to legally hunt elephants are some of

the most expensive and are a key source of agency funding. For example, in 2021 Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks raised $2.7 million, or roughly 10 percent of its total budget, from the sale of elephant hunting permits.”

In September 2021, the Administration settled the lawsuit and agreed to deadlines for granting or denying permit applications, beginning with applications from Namibia and Zimbabwe.

With a pandemic as a stated reason, the processing of applications didn’t speed up. But Weempe final-

Soggy opener

Continued from page 1

Needless to say, though, I left South Texas without a bird.”

While gobbling activity was high and jake numbers were low in the northern reaches of the South Zone, the same was not necessarily true along the Coastal Bend.

Tanner and Kasye Neill hunted near Refugio and encountered great numbers of gobbling toms and jakes alike. The husband and wife opted to sit out Saturday due to the weather, but were enjoying their morning coffee in the field on Sunday well before shooting light when six different groups of roosted birds began gobbling.

“There were a lot of birds and they were all around us,” Tanner said. “It was almost tough to decide which ones to make a play on.”

After some deliberation the couple decided on a group and set up about 100 yards from the roost tree.

“All five birds pitched down and beelined for the decoy ready to fight,” Tanner said. “There were three toms and two jakes in the group and they were getting after the decoy.”

Kasye made quick work of the first set-up and bagged a nice tom. The rest of the morning the Neill’s set out to get Tanner a gobbler.

“There was a tom henned up mid-morning, so we

made a big circle to get in front of them,”

Tanner said.

“On the way to do so we ran into a different group of toms, hens and jakes all mixed to gether so we set up on a road not far and be gan calling.”

ly received notice that his application was in line for processing.

“It was a long, stressful thing,” he said. “I had to write a threeparagraph statement to the Fish and Wildlife Service on where the money went and whether the people benefited. Finally, I got the CITES permit back.”

In mid-March, Weempe was finally able to hold the tusks from his elephant.

“It took me three years and they sat in a warehouse in Zimbabwe for two years,” he said.

Tanner be gan his calling sequence to hopefully draw one of the toms in the group but was surprised to find a separate trio of toms silently slipping into their setup from the opposite direction.

“The separate group of toms snuck in totally silent from the right side and hung up,” he said. “I was able to swing and make a quick shot and got a good bird. It was an ideal opening weekend.”

Tanner and Kasye Neill found success on the opening weekend of the South Zone turkey season near Refugio. Photo from Tanner Neill.

Hybrids from top to bottom

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star outdoor newS

From now through June, a popular fish to target on Lake Conroe is the hybrid striped bass. These are fairly predictable fish that can be found schooling on the surface at times, but for the most part on most days, anglers will be trolling baits and jigging spoons.

Butch Terpe has been

guiding anglers on this lake for years, and said his most consistent tactic is to troll pet spoons behind a Hell Bender diving plug. Another option is to jig a slab spoon. Regardless of what lure he’ll be using on any given day, the best depth will be 15 to 20 feet deep.

“It’s fun fishing and my clients love it,” Terpe said. “It’s a laid-back style of fishing that the entire fam-

ily can participate in. It’s not like going after largemouth bass. You don’t have to continually cast a lure to get a bite. I do a lot of trolling, but when the situation is right I’ll set up to jig a slab spoon in 18 to 25 feet of water. The color really isn’t a factor.”

The best structure areas are points, humps and islands. Terpe likes to jig the slab spoons over humps with a drop. But the guide

said it’s always a good idea to fish the top of a hump or along the edge.

“I definitely use my electronics a lot,” he said. “I use a GPS to locate my hot spots. I’m not into the new electronics that actually show you the fish. But I do use the GPS on my fish finder to locate a school that we can troll for. When I’m trolling with the Hellbenders trailing a pet spoon I’m always

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Pop the top for more hook ups

By Robert Sloan For Lone Star outdoor newS

Fishing corks come in all shapes and sizes — and that’s especially true for the popular rattling corks that can be fished on the flats, along the jetties and just about anywhere. The unique thing about a rattling cork is that they attract speckled trout and redfish by making a lot of noise. Plus, you can fish soft plastics or live and dead baits under them.

Byron Phillips has been fishing along the Texas coast for years, and especially likes fishing rattling floats. He’s been in the business of making and selling his custom-built Woodie Corks for the past seven years. At first he made them for his own personnel use — turning them on a lathe. But they became so popular among fishing pals that he decided to make them in bulk and sell them up and down the Texas coast.

“A good popping cork is definitely tough to beat,” Phillips said. “You want to use one that will not fall apart after being used on two or three trips to the coast. I couldn’t find what I wanted in the stores so I began making my own.”

The Woodie Corks are made of balsa wood. Made in four

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Digital tournament platform kicks off

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

A new saltwater tournament platform uses a web-based application called Trophy Chasers, which is clearing a path in the world of outdoor sports tournament hosting.

The app’s first online tournament, named Texas’ Biggest Trout Tournament, kicked off March 15 and is set to run through September 4. The catchand-release event is open to anyone fishing along the Texas Gulf Coast, the entry fee is $25, and there is up to $10,000 worth of winnings and prizes up for grabs.

Owner Billy Gerke said his idea for the virtual tournament platform came simply out of curiosity.

“I’ve always wanted to know how big the largest speckled trout caught along the Texas coast each year really was, and there just hasn’t been a means to gather that information,” Gerke said. “There’s no telling how many trophy-sized trout are caught by folks from all walks of life, including anglers fishing from the bank, off of piers, in the surf, or from a bay boat.

Trophy Chasers gives all anglers, regardless of their experience levels, an affordable opportunity to compete for a chance to win some significant prizes and money just by going fishing, and it can help document just how many big trout are caught and safely released along the Texas Coast during the peak fishing season.”

Because it is a catch-and-release

tournament, Gerke said participants will have to submit videos of their catch being weighed on one of two tournament-approved scales before being safely released.

“We are seemingly living in a digi tal age,” he said. “Creating a means to host a virtual fishing tournament just made sense. A lot of tournament series have already incorporated this type of video submission for weighing and releasing fish, and there seems to be a growing buzz among the tourna ment angling crowd about the new opportunities to compete that Trophy Chasers is providing.”

Tournament angler Colton Knipling said entering the Trophy Chasers tour nament is quick and easy.

“You simply go to the Trophy

Butch Terpe focuses on points, humps and islands to catch hybrid striped bass on Lake Conroe. Photo from Butch Terpe.

Taylor Garcia landed this redfish while using a Woodie Cork. Photo from Taylor Garcia. Right, Byron Phillips began making the corks for his use, but now has made and sold 10,000.

Photo from Byron Phillips.

Trophy Chasers Texas’ Biggest Trout Tournament promotes the safe catch and release of speckled trout along the Texas coast. The event kicked off March 15. Photo from Colton Blackwell.

Fairfield Lake SP open for day use Ivie drawing a crowd

More lunkers landed, including tournament fish

Anglers from all over Texas and across the country have been heading to O.H. Ivie Reservoir in search of a big bass, and the lake is still putting them out.

On March 11 at the Bass Champs regional tournament, Lee Beuershausen, of Marble Falls, landed a 13.34-pounder to bring the lake’s total of 13-plus-pound fish to 16 — at the time. The fish helped Beuershausen and teammate Carson Bowwn, of Burnet, come in with a fivefish total of 36.59 pounds to win the event and $37,600.

Legislators seek to take land via eminent domain

Lone Star outdoor newS

Two Texas lawmakers are making a lastditch effort to save Fairfield Lake State Park. Meanwhile, the park has temporarily reopened for day-use only.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, filed Senate Bill 1656, which would allow the state to obtain the 1,800-acre park via eminent domain.

Rep. Angela Orr, R-Itasca, previously filed a similar bill in the House of Representatives.

SB 1656 asserts the state has a vested interest in the property since the state and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have spent “over $70 million in the development and operation” of the park.

When a coal plant operated by Vistra on Fairfield Lake closed in 2018, the company gave TPWD notice that it planned to sell the land, according to Merenda Cohn, a spokesperson for Vistra.

“Vistra encouraged the TPWD to submit

a bid on the property, but they did not,” Cohn said.

Vistra entered into a contract with Todd Interests in April 2022. At that time, Vistra ceased negotiations with the state.

TPWD reopened the park for free dayuse-only visitation beginning March 14. After the department was given 120 days’ notice to vacate the property before it is turned over to the contracted buyer on Feb. 13, TPWD closed the park on Feb. 28 to begin preparations for decommissioning the park.

However, staff developed a plan for its temporary reopening after a meeting of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

“Since closing the park in February, we have heard an outpouring from Texans who would love to visit their park,” said State Parks Director Rodney Franklin.

“While we still stand committed to reaching a compromise that would save Fairfield Lake State Park for future use, our team will be working hard to keep this gem as accessible as possible for as long as possible.”

“I caught a couple of 4-pounders from there, I started catching them almost every cast using a brush hog bait on a Carolina rig,” Beuershausen said. “The 13-pounder took the bait and, about two casts later, I reeled in another fish, around 12 pounds. That added a lot to our tournament bag really fast.”

On March 15, Ryan Muhlig, of Colby, Kansas, landed a 13.64-pound largemouth from the lake.

Muhlig is one of the out of state anglers to reel in a 13-plus-pounder. Anglers from Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico and Washington joined in the party this season.

“We were fishing in about 10 feet of water and casting into the little

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Some anglers are back on Fairfield Lake, as the state park reopened for day use. Photo from TPWD.

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 54 degrees; 10.84’ low.

Largemouth and spotted bass are good on Carolina rigs, crankbaits and live bait. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 65 degrees; 37.42’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on creature baits, flukes, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. White bass are good on blade baits, spoons and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, chicken liver and cheese bait.

ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.09’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits, umbrella rigs and crankbaits. Channel catfish are good on prepared baits.

ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 5.76’ low. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are excellent on fresh cut shad and punch bait.

ATHENS: Water stained; 59-63 degrees; 0.62’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

AUSTIN: Water clear; 57 degrees; 0.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits. Catfish are good on cut shad.

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.16’ low. Largemouth bass fishing are good on hollow-bodied frogs, white swim jigs and senkos.

BASTROP: Water clear; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, craw worms and wake baits.

BELTON: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 14.04’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs and tail spinners. Catfish are fair on fresh shad and other cut baits.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and red lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows under a slip cork. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on cheese bait.

BRAUNIG: Water slightly stained; 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinner baits, top-waters, and jigs. Red drum are slow to fair on live bait and frozen shrimp.

Channel catfish are good on shrimp, liver and cheese bait.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 59-62 degrees; 8.58’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and crankbaits. Crappie are very good on jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 18.18’ low. White bass are good trolling crankbaits and vertical jigging. Striped bass are fair vertically jigging under birds.

CADDO: Water stained; 60 degrees; 1.89’ high. Largemouth bass are fair to good on flukes, spinner baits and top-water frogs.

CALAVERAS: Water slightly stained; 68-70 degrees. Red drum are good on small silver spoons, slow-trolled crankbaits, cut shad and frozen shrimp. Channel and blue catfish are good on cheese bait, liver and worms.

CANYON: Water clear; 68 degrees; 11.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, chatter baits and swimbaits.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 54-59 degrees; 0.03’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass and hybrids are good in creeks on small jigs.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 24.69’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinner baits, Texas-rigged craw worms and creatures. Crappie are good on minnows and small grubs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait.

CONROE: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.03’ high. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads, jigs and worms. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows under a slip cork. Catfish are good on liver and cut bait.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 65 degrees; 4.50’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, finesse worms and small crankbaits. Crappie are good shallow on live minnows and white jigs. Catfish are good on cheese bait, cut shad, soap baits and worms.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 62 degrees; 2.99’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and in creeks on rooster tails and inline spinners. Crappie are fair on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad.

FALCON: Water stained; 68-75 degrees; 42.19’ low.

Largemouth bass are very good on football jigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait, shrimp and stink bait.

FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 64 degrees. Largemouth bass are very good on shad crankbaits and crawfish plastics. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken liver.

FORK: Water stained; 63 degrees; 1.69’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water frogs, finesse worms and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on chartreuse and orange

hand-tied jigs.

GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 1.27’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and soft plastics. White bass are good in the river on small roadrunners and minnows. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

Blue catfish are fair to good on cut bait.

GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.19’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with Zote Soap.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 55 degrees; 0.81’ high. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on craw soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons. Catfish are fair on punch bait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 65-69 degrees; 0.14’ high. Largemouth bass are good on wacky worms and weightless finesse worms. Crappie are good on minnows.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 62 degrees; 7.71’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on creature baits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows.

JACKSONVILLE: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.11’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs and soft plastics.

JOE POOL: Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.42’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged plastic worms and creature baits in dark colors.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 58 degrees; 1.08’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on craws and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows under a slip cork. White bass are good upriver on roadrunners. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.45’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are very good upriver on small jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Blue catfish are fair on cut gizzard shad.

LBJ: Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.28’ low. Crappie are good on live minnows and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.31’ high. White bass are fair on slabs and live bait. Hybrid stripers are slow. Catfish are fair drifting cut shad or chicken breasts.

LIMESTONE: Water clear; 68 degrees; 2.76’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, spinner baits and chatter baits. Crappie are good on

minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.39’ high. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are good drifting cut bait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 0.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on finesse worms. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 46-48 degrees; 55.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows and soft plastics. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and curly-tailed grubs. Walleye are fair on minnows and grubs. Catfish are slow.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 59 degrees; 5.68’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and small jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

NACOGDOCHES: Water clear; 64-68 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are good on finesse worms. Crappie are fair on minnows.

NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 67 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on flukes, square-billed crankbaits and chatter baits. Catfish are slow.

NASWORTHY: Water slightly stained; 64 degrees. 1.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white chatter baits and flipping soft plastics. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.04’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are very good on jigs.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 60 degrees; 23.89’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastic worms and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on live bait.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 11.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed 8-inch worms. Crappie are good on minnows.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 63-69 degrees; 0.67’ high. Largemouth bass are good on big-eyed jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are very good on nightcrawlers.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water lightly stained; 55-60 degrees; 5.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms. Striped bass are fair on live shad or jigs. White bass are fair trolling divers and on using white and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on

cut or live shad.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 60 degrees; 9.29’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Blue catfish are fair on cut bait.

RAVEN: Water clear; 71 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on shad swimbaits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait, dough bait and live bluegill.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 57-60 degrees; 0.04’ low. White bass are good on small jigs. Crappie are good on cork jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair to good on cut shad and punch bait.

RAY ROBERTS: Water stained; 59 degrees; 1.61’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Alabama rigs and jerkbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 60-62 degrees; 1.99’ low. White bass and hybrid stripers are good on slab and jig combos. Crappie are fair to good on minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.15’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair to good on soft plastics, trick worms and jigs. Crappie are good on road runners and small plastics. Catfish are fair on punch bait.

SOMERVILLE: Water clear; 64 degrees; 2.47’ low. Largemouth bass are good on slow moving spinner baits and shad crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good trolling spoons.

SQUAW CREEK: Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.45’ high. Channel catfish are good on punch bait, minnows, cut bait and hot dogs.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 12.32’ low. White bass are slow with little flow in the river. Catfish are fair on punch bait.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 0.53’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits and swimbaits. White bass and hybrids are fair on small jigs. Blue catfish are good on fresh gizzard shad and cut bait, with smaller catfish good on punch bait.

TEXANA: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.56’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on creature baits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

TEXOMA: Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.66’ high. Striped bass are fair to good on

n Saltwater reports Page 19

Alabama rigs and drifting with live bait. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 65-68 degrees; 2.09’ low. Largemouth bass arfe good on bladed jigs and Carolina rigs with plastic lizards in watermelon/red. Crappie are fair to good on jigs. Catfish are fair to good on punch bait, shrimp and hot dogs.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 62-64 degrees; 41.57’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on swimbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits.

TWIN BUTTES: Water stained; 59 degrees; 22.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good shallow on jigs and minnows. White bass are good in the river biting on small spinner baits. Channel catfish are good on prepared baits.

TYLER: Water stained; 66 degrees; 0.25’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, crankbaits and worms. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on chicken liver.

WACO: Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.87’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on large soft plastics. Crappie are good on jigs with shad plastics.

WALTER E. LONG: Water clear; 60-62 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on chatter baits, spinner baits and dark worms.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 61-64 degrees; 5.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are fair to good on jigs. Striped bass are good on jigs and live shad.

WORTH: Water normally stained; 62 degrees; 1.91’ low. White bass are good on small spinners. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish and channel catfish are fair to good on shad and punch bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 6.54’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on hair jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait.

—TPWD

New format

Continued from page 8

Chasers website and create a profile,” he said. “From there you can enter the tournament, plus they have it set up to where you can purchase one of the two tournament-approved scales when you register your tournament entry. After that, you’re ready to start submitting your catches.”

Knipling said he’s heard from plenty of tournament anglers who are fishing this year’s tournament.

“Entering the Trophy Chasers tournament is a no-brainer,” Knipling said. “It’s affordable, and so many of us are already familiar with the video submission process from fishing other events.”

Capt. Colton Blackwell said he is excited to see additional emphasis put on safely releasing speckled trout as a requirement for entering a fish in a fishing tournament platform.

“This is the direction that coastal fishing tournaments continue to need to go, and I think the system that Trophy Chasers is using will work extremely well,” the guide said. “Meeting the requirements to enter a fish into the tournament is pretty simple. Any angler can do it.”

Trophy Chasers plans to host virtual contests for hunting in the future, and Gerke said he encourages people to stay tuned for what is to come from this digital tournament hosting platform.

Ivie

bass

Continued from page 9 stick-ups,” said Muhlig. “I was using a plastic worm and noticed a bigger fish out there. I cast, and the fish turned and looked at it, but didn’t act on it before swimming off. The fish stayed in the area, and this time I had a weedless swimbait lure tied on, so I flipped back out there. I reeled a couple of times and felt the tiniest little tap. It opened its mouth and danced almost all the way into the net from 20 feet out.”

Ryan Muhlig, of Colby, Kansas, landed this bass weighing 13.64 pounds on O.H. Ivie. Photo from David Henning.

THEFT RING’S TAKE INCLUDES BASS BOAT

A group of 16 individuals were arrested in Tom Green County for several crimes, including stealing a 1999 Champion bass boat from a residence. Other charges included possession of marijuana and littering. One individual was arrested on three warrants for failure to appear, driving with an invalid license and theft. Another was arrested for similar charges and resisting arrest. A third was arrested for theft of property between $5,000 and $30,000. This individual was already an inmate at the jail.

BIG SNAPPER HAUL SEIZED

The Coast Guard interdicted a lancha crew and seized 600 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters off southern Texas. A boat crew located and stopped the lancha with three fishermen engaged in illegal fishing. Coast Guard personnel

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

seized 600 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear, radios, GPS devices and high flyers on board.

Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.

Y.O. RANCH GATE STOLEN, REWARD OFFERED

At the Y.O. Ranch Headquarters in Kerr County, an iron gate marked with the Y.O. brand was stolen. The ranch said it takes the theft of historical artifacts very seriously and asked the community to assist and report the discovery of the iron gate. The ranch has offered a $5,000 reward to any tips that lead to the discovery of the gate.

“We understand that your actions require courage and determination, and we hope that this reward will help others recognize any contributions and serve as a symbol of our gratitude,” the ranch said.

The ranch asked that persons with information contact the Kerr County Sheriffs Office at (830) 896-1216 or Zach Sager at (903) 624-6723 with any tips.

WARDENS AND KIDS

For five days at the El Paso County Coliseum, Region 1 game wardens, along with State Park Police Officers, provided programs at the 30th Annual 2023 Kids & Kows & More event. The wardens/officers covered conservation law enforcement and the duties of a warden/ officer. Each of the wardens/officers helped to make the event reach 3,900 youngsters.

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

OGT HOTLINE HELPS NAB GATOR POACHER

An 18 year old was arrested after allegedly hunting and killing an alligator at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Jesus Rios was arrested March 12 for hunting without landowner consent and hunting without a license after a witness reported seeing Rios dragging an alligator out of the marshland toward his vehicle. The witness called the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Thief Hotline and within two hours, Texas game wardens found the suspect’s residence. The spokesperson said Rios was located at a nearby residence and admitted to baiting and killing the alligator at the refuge. According to Valley Central, Rios was skinning the alligator at the residence. At the scene, a cooler with an alligator head, two alligator gar, fishing gear and a .22 caliber single shot rifle were found, according to a probable cause affidavit from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Rios said he hooked the alligator at the refuge and killed it with a rifle. In Texas, it’s legal to hunt alligators only during the open season — April 1-June 30. A special permit is required to hunt in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

U T F I T T E R S

BLINDS & FEEDERS, DEER CORN, PROTEIN, ACCESSORIES, DELIVERY & SETUP AVAILABLE

Active bass

Continued from page 1

“Swimbaits rigged on a jig head, chatterbaits, umbrella rigs and lightweight soft plastics are all producing hookups,” Stanley said. “The key is to incorporate a super-slow presentation. If you are moving your lure too quickly you are not going to get bit.”

Grant Langmore has been spending time on both Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin recently.

“Frogs, Texas-rigged soft plastics, senkos, and large swimbaits worked over shallow grass in 6 feet of water or less, have been producing plenty of bites on Lady Bird Lake,” the guide said. “Any lure that you can move through the grass is working pretty well.”

Surprise fish

Continued from page 1

Most of the fish have been in the 4 to 5 pound range.

“I have seen a few fish push 10 pounds recently, but overall, there’s a bunch of solid bass to be caught right now, with plenty of smaller ones mixed in,” Langmore said.

The backs of creeks on Lake Austin have been holding good numbers of bass, along with areas along deep walls.

“Anywhere there is a deep shelf that drops off from 5 to 20 feet has the potential to be holding trophy bass,” Langmore said. “Large glide baits and swimbaits are the best presentation in these areas for drawing strikes from big fish.”

On Lake Travis, guide Jake Kennamer said the middle

part of the lake is where he’s been catching the most bass.

“There are plenty of fish to be caught on Travis on flukes, senkos, and shaky heads in water depths of 12 feet or less,” he said. “We seem to be catching bass in all three stages of the spawn, including pre-spawn fish, spawning fish, and post-spawn fish.”

Kennamer said his anglers are catching a lot of smaller male bass, but that just about every trip renders one or two bites from a 5-pound fish.

“You can’t hardly keep a lure away from the smaller sized bass on Lake Travis right now,” he said. “Exposed brush, boulders and tree stumps have all been good ambush points to target.”

Kennamer also has been targeting bass on Lake LBJ, where he said the number of fish caught per trip has been lower, but the size of fish has been bigger.

“There are a lot of bass concentrated in the shallows in 4 feet of water or less,”he said. “Top-waters and various soft plastics are producing the most strikes. We’ve been catching bass consistently in the 3-pound range, with several pushing 6 or 7 pounds.”

under a Carolina rig and had just casted out when another angler informed me that he thought it was a tripletail, and told me that I should throw my shrimp in its direction,” Baker explained. “As soon as the angler identified the fish, I ended up snagging my hook on a rock and broke my line. So I ran as quick as I could down the rocks to where I had left my tackle bag to tie another hook on.”

Baker didn’t want to waste too much time, fearing that the fish might leave, so he left the weight from his Carolina rig on his line and quickly tied a new hook on.

“I put a shrimp on my hook and ran back to where I had seen the fish, and luckily it hadn’t moved,” he said. “It took me a few casts to get the angle just right, but I finally got the shrimp right in front of the tripletail’s nose. Immediately, a sheepshead came up from below the surface and tried to strike the shrimp before the tripletail could.”

Baker then reeled his line in quickly, and re-hooked what was left of the shrimp he was using, before making another carefully placed cast.

“I reeled the shrimp right past the tripletail’s face, and this time he ate it,” he said. “At first he acted like he had no idea that he had been hooked. As I began to put pressure on him, he started to fight hard and made several runs on the drag. Some other anglers heard the commotion and brought a net over to help me land it. We finally got the fish in the net, and I couldn’t believe how big he was. It measured 23 inches in length and felt pretty heavy.”

Baker stressed how appreciative he was of the other anglers fishing along the jetty that lended him a hand.

“I couldn’t believe that nobody else tried casting to this fish before me,” he said. “They were happy to help me land the fish, and it’s just awesome to see that type of community of anglers in a place I love to go fishing.”

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s recreational catch data, the majority of tripletail landed in Texas occur from West Matagorda Bay to Sabine Lake.

Jill Manring caught this largemouth while fishing on Canyon Lake with guide Tyler Stanley. Photo by Tyler Stanley.

Conner Muehe, 15, shot his first duck, a banded redhead drake, which is being mounted to commemorate his hunt.

Palmer Welch, 10, took his first buck, a 9-pointer, while hunting with his dad on the March Ranch in Tom Green County.

Stone Cates, 8, took his first buck with his Papa Cates at CC Ranch.

Riley Radicke, 7, shot his first buck in Zavala County.

Liam Kohleffel, 8, left, and Dean Deveny, 9, right, found a couple of nice deadheads near Boerne while discovering the woods at Kohleffel’s grandparents’ house.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Solution on Page 18

INDUSTRY

Yeargin to head NMMA

The National Marine Manufacturers Association board elected Bill Yeargin, President and CEO of Correct Craft, as NMMA’s new chair.

Gentry becomes sales director

Bushmaster named Bill Gentry as the company’s director of sales.

New head at AMMO

Jared Smith, formerly of Fiocchi of America, was named the chief operation officer/ president of AMMO, Inc.

Position with ATA

The Archery Trade Association has an opening for its director of membership.

Wilson joins Pure Archery

Pure Archery Group hired Jamie Wilson as its southeast territory manager.

SIG acquires robotics company

SIG SAUER acquired General Robotics, a manufacturer of remote weapon stations and tactical robots for manned and unmanned platforms.

Mossberg to lead PTR

PTR Industries named Jonathan Mossberg its chief executive officer.

S&W sales position

Smith & Wesson is seeking a district sales manager for six western states.

NRA-ILA director

Randy Kozuch has been named interim executive director of the NRA-Institute for Legislative Action, the lobbying arm of the NRA.

SilencerCo promotion

Chase Glenn was promoted to director of business development at SilencerCo.

DOWN

1) Fly rod brand

2) Safari destination

4) New Mexico’s turkey

5) Rock formation in clear lakes

7) Turkey hunter’s org.

10) The top fin

13) The fake turkey

14) African game species

17) Fishing reel brand

18) Robert Lee’s county

19) An African wild cat

22) A lab color

23) Texas state tree

25) The downwind side

27) Used to be Granite Shoals

28) Turkey-hunting state

30) Trout species

31) Fort Worth’s nickname

capital of Texas

33) Hill Country lake

35) Lake near Abilene

37) Binocular brand

38) One of the Great Lakes

39) Holds Conservation’s Greatest Night

Asian wild turkey lettuce wraps

1 lb. ground turkey

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1/4 cup diced scallions

2 tbsp. crystallized ginger, finely minced

10 large romaine lettuce leaves, washed, dried and chilled

Over medium heat, crumble ground turkey into a wok or large skillet and sauté, stirring to break up any clumps. Cook until lightly browned. Stir in hoisin and barbecue sauces, ginger root and garlic. Cook until hot and well blended. Mix in toasted pine nuts, scallions and crystallized ginger, tossing gently just long enough to heat through and blend well. To serve, spoon the hot turkey mixture into each lettuce leaf cup and roll tightly to enclose the turkey mixture.

—NWTF

2 lbs. sheepshead fillets

1/2 lemon

1 cup sugar

Lemon pepper dill seed

Butter

Fill a large pot about 1/2 to 3/4 full of water and bring to a boil. Add in half a lemon, cut into 2 pieces and the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow the mixture to come back to a boil for a couple minutes. Cut the fish into about 1-inch chunks and add to the boiling water. Do not stir!

When the fish begin bobbing and float to the top, strain them out and set on a paper towel or wire rack. Sprinkle with lemon, lemon pepper and dill seed. Serve with melted butter.

—Reel Florida

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

OREGON

Man shoots into elk herd from road

A subject shooting into a herd of elk killed one and mortally wounded at least three others in January, while illegally shooting from a road. The 66-year-old subject blamed “elk fever” when he self-reported the incident, according to authorities. The subject, whose name has not been released pending the investigation, expressed remorse after the event and had turned himself in.

OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers cited the subject for: Hunting Prohibited Method: Shooting from Roadway; Unlawful Take/Possession of Antlerless Elk; and Unlawful Take/ Possession of Bull Elk. Troopers seized a .308 rifle for evidence, along with the elk the subject had tagged and processed.

Troopers responding to the call into the Turn in Poachers Line found three wounded elk wandering with the herd of about 30 animals. The subject had already left with a cow elk he tagged. A trooper put down a mortally wounded cow elk. The following day, troopers again assessed the herd, and put down a mortally wounded bull. A wounded cow elk ran into the Nehalem River and drowned.

The subject had both a late-season cow elk tag and permission from the landowner to hunt. He field-dressed the carcass and left the area, according to the landowner. The landowner called the subject and encouraged him to return to the field, to call OSP and to turn himself in for poaching. The subject turned himself in.

The bull elk and cow elk that troopers were forced to put down and the cow elk the

subject had processed were donated to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and to the Tillamook County Jail.

—ODFW

FLORIDA

Shedd to join IGFA HOF

Bill Shedd, the chairman of the Coastal Conservation Association of California and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, will be inducted into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame.

Shedd has volunteered over 15,000 hours to conservation projects, spending 400-500 hours every year for more than 35 years on marine conservation and sportfishing industry issues. He is known for co-founding United Anglers of Southern California, where he led that group’s efforts to develop the white seabass grow-out facilities to support the hatchery and played a key role with UASC in the effort to eliminate set gill nets in California.

Shedd played a key role in eliminating the experimental mako shark longline fishery in California. In 1989, he started the AFTCO TAG FLAG and later championed tag and release fishing. He is quoted as saying that recreational anglers are the original stewards of marine resources in the modern conservation era.

—IGFA

MINNESOTA Bud Grant, coach and conservationist, dies

Wildlife Forever and the conservation

Rattling the coast

Continued from page 8

versions, the standard popping cork has a stainless steel wire slide that is thick and tough to bend. The rattles come from 10mm acrylic and glass beads. Available in 1/4- 3/8- and 1/2-ounces, they are finished with a 60-pound test nickel swivel. Also included in his line of floats is the knocker that is shaped like an egg. He makes another one called a Woodie shrimp cork. This is made to make a lot of noise.

“My favorite is the Lil’ Woodie,” Phillips said. “It’s the smallest in the lineup and shaped like a cigar. This one is made with a 1/4-ounce weight. It can be cast a long way. All of the corks are available in bright green/neon yellow and hot pink/neon orange. They look great and are tough as can be. I’ve got some customers that buy them to hang from their rear-view mirror, but most like how they are easy to see on the water.”

The smaller profile seems to attract a lot of bites. Phillips’ favorite lure to fish under this particular cork is a plastic shrimp

rigged on a 1/4-ounce jig head.

Bent slide on popping corks are an angler’s nemesis.

“What I’m doing is making a vinyl-covered stainless wire,” Phillips said. “That prevents it from getting bent. And I build them with 100-pound test monofilament line, that makes a good slide.”

Phillips estimates that over the past 5 years he’s sold over 10,000 corks.

“It’s made of high-quality materials, is weighted for a longer cast which allows you to cover more water from one spot, without moving,” he said. “They are really good for drift-fishing because of how much water you can fish.”

A unique addition to his corks is that on top of the slide there is a round skull.

“It just makes this brand of corks unique and cool to use,” Phillips said.

The corks retail from about $8 to $12, and can be found at lots of tackle shops along the coast from Texas to Louisiana.

community lost a great friend when NFL Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant died March 11. Grant, a lifelong hunter, angler, and conservationist, was 95.

The legendary Minnesota Vikings head coach advocated youth conservation programs and getting kids outdoors to hunt and fish. He helped launch Wildlife Forever’s international Fish Art Contest for students.

“Bud Grant was a true conservationist and wanted kids to enjoy and care for the outdoors like he did,” said former Wildlife Forever CEO Doug Grann who worked with Grant to start the highly successful StateFish Art Contest for kids in 1999. “What impressed me most was his concern for kids and conservation. Bud has left behind another legacy of conservation as today thousands of students around the globe learn to paint and draw fish art.”

—Wildlife Forever

Record C&R northern pike

Brad Lila caught and released a 46 1/4inch northern pike through the ice from Mille Lacs Lake on Jan. 22, tying the state record for the species.

“After about 10 minutes of fighting the fish, I knew that it might take more than me to land it,” Lila told the DNR. “Every time she would get near, a few inches of slush would come up and we couldn’t see down the hole. An additional challenge was that my braided line would groove the bottom of the ice and when my knot connecting the fluorocarbon leader would meet the ice bottom, it would get stuck. I’d have to put my rod down into the hole to free up my line and then my

line guides would freeze.”

After about 30 minutes, Lila was able to get the fish through the ice and get quick measurements before releasing it back into the water. The fish was most likely a female that was carrying eggs before spawning.

—MNDNR

Alaska-Fairbanks wins rifle title

The University of Alaska-Fairbanks rifle team clinched its 11th NCAA rifle title on March 11 at the 2023 NCAA rifle championship in Akron.

Buoyed by sophomore Rylan Kissell, who fired a perfect 600 in air rifle Saturday, the Alaska-Fairbanks rifle team amassed a 4729 aggregate score, 2380 for air rifle and 2349 in smallbore. The rifle team last won the competition in 2008.

Alaska-Fairbanks entered the 2023 NCAA rifle championship as the third-ranked team in the NCAA selections, behind No. 1 Texas Christian University and No. 2 West Virginia University.

TCU finished second with a 4717 team aggregate. Finishing third was the 2021 and 2022 back-to-back champion Kentucky Wildcats. —SSUSA

MARCH 25

MULE DEER FOUNDATION

Greater Houston Banquet

IAG Icehouse (817) 565-7121 muledeer.org

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Kaufman County Dinner

Kaufman Civic Center (469) 732-1581 ducks.org

PARK CITIES QUAIL

17th Annual Dinner & Auction SMU Field House, Dallas parkcitiesquail.org

MARCH 25-26

KIMBLE COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Predator Calling Contest Junction (325) 446-3190 junctiontexas.com

MARCH 26

TECHRON MEGA BASS Lake Fork Marina basschamps.com

MARCH 30

WHITETAILS UNLIMITED

Texas North Deer Camp Myers Show Park Barn, McKinney (512) 657-9943 whitetailsunlimited.com

DELTA WATERFOWL

Houston Banquet Sawyer Park Icehouse, Spring (337) 322-8088 deltawaterfowl.org

DATEBOOK

MARCH 31

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Edwards Plateau Banquet Reneau Farms, New Braunfels (361) 960-3375 rmef.org

APRIL 1

DSC SOUTH TEXAS CHAPTER

Annual Gala Pedrotti’s Ranch, Helotes dscsouthtexas.org

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Aransas Bay Banquet Fulton Convention Center (210) 240-7722 ccatexas.org

APRIL 2

STEWARDS OF THE WILD

San Antonio Sausage Showdown Beethoven Maennerchor tpwf.org/sotw

APRIL 5

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION Permian Basin Banquet Midland Country Club (432) 230-4399 nwtf.org

APRIL 6

DUCKS UNLIMITED Seguin Banquet Geronimo Community Center (210) 449-6942 ducks.org

APRIL 8

DSC TEXAS PANHANDLE CHAPTER

Annual Banquet Amarillo Civic Center Heritage Ballroom (806) 433-5766 panhandledsc.com

APRIL 13

DUCKS UNLIMITED Houston Evening of Conservation Gordy & Sons Outfitters (713) 471-8854 ducks.org

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

West Houston Banquet American Shooting Center (281) 808-1434 ccatexas.org

DUCKS UNLIMITED Austin Dinner The Lodge at Grace, Buda (512) 217-8483 ducks.org

APRIL 15

HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB FOUNDATION

Quail Shoot and Crawfish Boil Providence Plantation, Rosharon hscfdn.org

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Permian Basin Banquet Bush Convention Center, Midland (432) 889-7565 rmef.org

DELTA WATERFOWL

North Texas Banquet

Sports Academy at the Star, Frisco (903) 806-9117 deltawaterfowl.org

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TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

SABINE LAKE: 71 degrees. Redfish are good drifting over clam and oyster shell with live shrimp under a popping cork or red shad 5-inch plastics. Speckled trout are fair to good on top-waters and live shrimp under a popping cork.

BOLIVAR: 70 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair on shrimp under a popping cork and artificials.

TRINITY BAY: 71 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are slow to fair on live shrimp.

Conroe hybrids

Continued from page 8

watching my electronics so I can stay on or near the structure. That’s very important.”

are best, as the lake north of Houston gets a lot of boat traffic.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 68 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good on split tails. Redfish are fair on shrimp under a popping cork and burner shad.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 69 degrees. Catches of black drum, and few redfish, and some speckled trout, over shell all on live shrimp. Waders have picked up a few fish on soft plastics and mullet imitation plugs. The sloughs leading to Greens Lake, Carancahua Lake and Chocolate Bay holding redfish and trout on popping cork and shrimp, or top water baits early then switch to soft plastics and work plastics slow.

TEXAS CITY: 63 degrees. Oversized black drum are fair on live halved crab. Speckled trout are slow to fair on shrimp. Redfish are fair on shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics.

FREEPORT: 71-74 degrees. Redfish are fair to good on live shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics. Speckled trout are slow.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 70 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish fair wading or drifting soft plastics.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 70 degrees. Black drum are good in the reefs on live shrimp under a popping cork or cut mullet. Speckled trout, redfish and flounder are slow.

PORT O’CONNOR: 72 degrees. Oversized black drum are good on blue crab. Slot redfish are good from the jetties on Spanish sardines and live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair outside of the jetties on live shrimp and soft plastics.

ROCKPORT: 67 degrees. Redfish are good on cut bait, soft plastics, and top-waters. Speckled trout are fair to good on live bait, suspension baits and large soft plastics. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: 72 degrees. Redfish and black drum are good on shrimp. Redfish are fair on shrimp and cut menhaden. Speckled trout are slow to fair on artificials.

Terpe rigs a pet spoon on about a 2-foot leader behind a white Hell Bender. The best color for the small spoons is silver, with gold also being a producer.

There is also the option of using live bait, with shad and large minnows being the best options.

“The problem with using live bait is that you have to catch the shad with a cast net,” Terpe said. “That turns in to a lot of work and definitely takes a lot of time. But if you do use live shad it’s tough to keep them alive. You need to use a big livewell with great water circulation. Otherwise, the shad will die.”

Terpe mostly fishes on the upper end of the lake. There is not as much boat traffic and the hybrids are plentiful. Weekdays

Surface action is best during May and June, with the best top-water bite right at daylight, lasting only last 30 to 45 minutes.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stocks the lake with stripers when they are about 5 inches long, according to Terpe.

“They grow fast but only have about a 5- to 6-year life span,” he said.

The average hybrid weighs 3 to 6 pounds, but Terpe said it’s not unusual to catch stripers in the 7-pound class. The daily limit is five per person with an 18inch minimum size limit. The heaviest striper he’s caught weighed just over 10 pounds. A lot of the heavier stripers go for slab spoons.

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