Lone Star Outdoor News 062323

Cool Moves

Rains benefit quail hatch

Summer has officially arrived with scorching temperatures from El Paso to Galveston. The rampant weather shift has anglers responding with adjusted strategies, which, in many parts of the state, rely on skipping baits underneath docks and dropping jigs down around structure and beneath hydrilla mats where big bass can escape the sun. While the shade seems to be the target among bass fishermen, catfish and crappie are favoring depth. Guides are finding fish schooling anywhere from 15-30 feet deep and finding success with a variety of different baits. Catfish are taking to trolled artificial baits or cut bait off the points. Crappie are routinely striking jigs thrown near submerged structure. Read our fishing reports, guide reports and story on finding shade in this issue to learn more.

Jacks on jetties

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Schools of crevalle jack, commonly referred to as jackfish or jacks, have been schooling in feeding frenzies along Surfside Beach near Freeport. YouTube fishing video creator, Brandon Molina, has been catching fish weighing up to 30 pounds or more from the Surfside Jetty. His success has stemmed mostly from consistency on the beach side of the jetty

where he has seen large schools roaming the surf, although the occasional channel-side school has also yielded results.

“The early morning hours have been pretty exciting,” he said. “They have been all over the place, up and down the jetty, feeding aggressively right before sunrise.”

According to Molina, some of the schools have been working parallel to the rocks along the jetty, making for easy sight-casting opportu-

Freshwater Fishing Report Page 10

Game Warden Blotter Page 12

Heroes Page 14

Sun, Moon & Tides Page 16

Saltwater Fishing Report Page 21

Classifieds Page 22

Datebook Page 22

nities. Large top-water lures, 4- to 6-inch swimbaits and 3-ounce silver spoons have been producing the most strikes.

“When they are feeding along the rocks, you can just wait until the school gets in front of you, and then pitch your lure right in the middle of them, and hold on,” Molina said. “When they are schooled up in a big feeding frenzy, you can throw just about anything at them and they will eat it. The key is to

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HUNTING

Big business (P. 4)

$4.3 billion spent in deer hunting.

Aoudad quest (P. 4)

Hunter strikes gold after 42 hunts.

By David Schlake Lone Star outdoor newS

Following a spring headlined by mild temperatures and cascades of rainfall, quail hunters across the state are calling one another desperate for encouraging reports. Have you seen any chicks yet? What are your quail doing? Do you think this rain is going to last?

Meanwhile, early surveys at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation’s facility out in Fisher County have provided numbers brimming with nostalgia only halfway through the breeding season. By comparison, the entire 2022 breeding season from April through September produced 44 nests at the research ranch, whereas the team has already recorded 48 nests this year by mid-June.

Perhaps no Texas game species is as volatile as the bobwhite, which is evidenced by the massive swings in hunting success year over year. However, unlike other states where quail hunting no longer even exists (not counting private preserves), Texas has boasted seasons in the past decade that weren’t just good, but outstanding.

To estimate the bird numbers across the state each year, wildlife officials drive more than

FISHING

Giant hammerhead (P. 8)

Surf angler lands, releases 13-footer.

Shade for bass (P. 8)

Docks producing on Lake Austin.

Photo by Tanner Lyons.

Researchers are studying the quail hatch to learn more about chick behavior and survival. The nest counts in the Rolling Plains have improved significantly this year. Photo from Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation.

The early morning bite has been best from the jetties for crevalle jack. Brandon Molina has been finding fish up to 30 pounds from Surfside Beach. Photo from Brandon Molina.

FROM WORK TO PLAY

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

Deer hunting spending totals $4.3 billion

Country legend at the Y.O. Ranch

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS

What happens at hunting ranches during the off-season?

At the Y.O. Ranch Headquarters, in Mountain Home, a country music legend came to film a music video.

Recent Country Music Hall of Fame honoree Tanya Tucker filmed the video for her new song, “When the Rodeo Is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?).” The song is the second

release from her latest album, Sweet Western Sound. The video was released June 20.

Born in Seminole, Tucker had her first country hit, the classic “Delta Dawn,” at the age of 13 in 1972. She went on to string to gether 56 Top 40 singles, 10 reaching No. 1 on the Billboard country charts. She punctu ated her career with two Grammy awards for Best Country Album.

Ryan Normandin, Y.O. Ranch’s media director, said Tucker was accompanied by ranchers, rodeo personalities and cowboys.

Long pursuit for elusive aoudad

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

It’s no secret Texas is one of the top destinations for hunting white-tailed deer. According to the latest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recreation survey, the state ranked among the highest for the annual number of deer hunters it accommodates, as well as the number of days spent deer hunting by people in the state each year.

One figure most people probably aren’t as familiar with is the annual total spent by both hunters and landowners on whitetailed deer hunting activities — $4.3 billion.

To better understand the value of whitetailed deer in our state’s economy, Texas A&M University Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management and the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute conducted a web-based survey of a random sample of 100,000 Texas hunting license holders from the 2022-23 season.

According to the report, they were able to direct participants to separate questionnaires, one hunter-focused and the other landowner-focused, based on a filtering question, which asked, “Do you own hunting land in Texas?”

They received about a 9-percent response rate, with a total of 9,079 unique responses between hunters and landowners, 6,275 (69 percent) of which responded they do not own land. Based on the respondents who reported expenses related to white-tailed deer hunting in Texas during the 2022-23 season, the average hunter expenditures totaled $3,348.

Most of these hunters reported hunting 10 days or fewer over the course of the season. Based on the breakdown of where those who were surveyed hunted, 52 percent hunted on land owned by family or friends, 41 percent leased land, 5 percent hunted on public land and 2 percent hunted with outfitters.

The most common expenses included licenses, transportation, meals, shooting equipment, feed and feeders. The most costly annual expenses, on the other hand, included outfitter or guide fees, lease fees, lodging and land management activities.

Nearly 2,000 hunters reported lease fees as a significant expense when hunting white-tailed deer, posting an average lease fee of $2,904.

The report accounted for 2,804 hunters who claimed to own hunting land, and calculated an average of $18,812 in landowner expenditures against an average revenue of $20,658.

According to the study, an estimated 554,900 white-tailed deer hunters spend about $1.9 billion annually, and roughly 198,500 white-tailed deer landowners spend about $2.5 billion annually.

By Lili Keys Lone Star outdoor newS

A six-month pursuit of a particular aoudad certainly tested Hunter Lively’s deter mination. It wasn’t until his 42nd hunt when he was final ly able to lay eyes on the ram that had been evading him, wearing its mythical aura like a cloak.

Lively guides upland bird and big game hunts at Greystone Castle in Mingus.

“I was preparing for my first (guided) hunt after my son was born, checking trail cam eras for a customer, and I kept noticing this aoudad,” Lively said. “He was just so consis tent on the game cameras. I decided I wanted to go after him and the whole thing spi raled into a six-month event.”

Early in the pursuit, the bow hunting enthusiast couldn’t catch up to the ram in the day light, so he decided to take to the trees with the hope of clos ing the distance in the timber.

Although an accomplished hunter, Lively hadn’t spent much time hunting in treestands. Ron Stott, a contract guide for Greystone, mentored Lively and taught him everything he knew about hunt-

ing with elevation. Switching methods turned out to be ineffective, however, as Lively never once laid eyes on the

ram from a tree. After 40 unsuccessful archery hunts, Lively again decided to switch things up, this

time taking a rifle. “The hunt before I got him, it was more than 100 degrees in the box blind,” he said.

Mumme’s Gun Room expands sevenfold

Grand opening July 1

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS

On July 1, Mumme’s will hold a grand opening of its expanded Gun Room at its Hondo location.

“We’ve increased our footprint from 600 square feet to 4,400 square feet,” said Wildlife Specialist Lance Cote. “Our inventory has been expanded to match.”

In 2013, the Mumme’s Gun Room opened as part of the large facility that began selling feed in 1928, eventually becoming the state’s, and maybe the country’s, largest producer of deer corn.

“I got here in 2008 and said I’d never seen a feed store without ammunition,” Cote said. “Later, we got our FFL (Federal Firearms License) and opened the gun room.”

The gun room may have been small, but held plenty of inventory.

“We had stuff all the way to the roof — every inch had something on it,” Cote said.

“It was amazing how the new place filled up so quickly.”

The grand opening will take place all day, from 9 a.m.- 7 p.m., and will have vendor and firearm industry representatives, plenty of giveaways, free food, entertainment and more.

“1836 Suppressors will be at

Country singer Tanya Tucker spent time at the Y.O. Ranch filming her new music video. Photo by Ryan Normandin, Y.O. Ranch.

Texas A&M researchers estimate hunters and landowners spend $4.3 billion each year on deer hunting expenses. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Hunter Lively spent six months pursuing this old aoudad ram, and finally made the connection on his 42nd hunt. Photo from Hunter Lively.

Head to Hondo July 1 to see the expanded Mumme’s Gun Room, which increased from 600 to 4,400 square feet. Photo by Lance Cote.

Duck production promising

Nesting conditions improved in areas where ducks that eventually head to Texas spend their spring.

Good in Dakotas, fair in prairie Canada

Lone Star outdoor newS

Although the official numbers won’t be out until August, northern U.S. states and Canadian provinces showed promising amounts of water on the landscape, hopefully setting the stage for a good fall flight of waterfowl.

According to Delta Waterfowl’s prairie breeding condition map, good conditions remained throughout most of the Dakotas, Montana and Manitoba. The prairies of Saskatchewan and Alberta are drier, but most areas still rate fair for duck production.

Ducks Unlimited provided habitat estimates earlier this year, noting the central and eastern Dakotas received above-average to record amounts of late winter and spring precipitation, providing excellent habitat for breeding waterfowl. Conditions were less favorable in northeastern Montana, however.

In prairie Canada, the snowpack was average in much of Saskatchewan and south-

western Manitoba. Spring precipitation also was low, reducing the amount of habitat for breeding waterfowl. Wetlands were in better condition in Ontario, where winter precipitation was above average.

North Dakota Game and Fish conducts its own breeding waterfowl and wetland survey, which revealed good to excellent conditions for breeding ducks. The wetland index was the seventh highest on record, and the total duck number was estimated at just above 3.4 million, a slight increase from 2022. Overall duck numbers were up, but mallards were down 10 percent from last year at 640,000, and bluewinged teal were down slightly but still totaled 925,000.

Increases were noted in redheads, canvasbacks and shovelers, along with a welcomed 40-percent increase in breeding pintail, bringing the breeding populations to numbers not seen since the 2000s.

The 2023 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey takes place in the northern U.S. and Canada from mid-May to mid-June. The results are expected to be released in August. The survey estimated the total duck population at 34.2 million in 2022.

Gamebird research center to open at Texas A&M University-Commerce

Thanks to a $1 million gift from Ted and Donna Lyon, a gamebird research and education facility is planned for a 2024 opening at Texas A&M University-Commerce, to be called the Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research.

Dr. Kelly Reyna, associate professor and director of the Quail Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University-Commerce, will serve as the gamebird center’s director.

The Lyons’ donation will support several gamebird research and education initiatives at Texas A&M University-Commerce, including separate endowments for constructing and operating the new center and funding gamebird research.

“The Lyons’ generous gift will create a world-class research facility and an endowed professorship that will position Texas A&M University-Commerce to recruit and retain high-quality faculty and provide resources to promote innovative gamebird research,” Reyna said. “Their gift will also establish the Ted and Donna Lyon Scholars program benefiting Texas A&M University-Commerce students who are committed to gamebird conservation and sustainability.”

The center will include a state-of-the-art quail research and production facility, a wetland research station, large classrooms and meeting spaces, wetland and upland nature trails, and office space for gamebird faculty and students.

Born and raised in Terrell, after high school Ted worked as a police officer and Donna worked as an executive assistant for Southwestern Bell. Later, he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University-Commerce) and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University School of Law and eventually began a successful law practice.

—Staff report

Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Statewide Quail Symposium set for Aug. 16-18

It has been four years since the last Statewide Quail Symposium was held in Abilene. The biennial event was put on hiatus two years ago, so quail enthusiasts are looking forward to updates on all things related to quail. The conference will bring quail experts together to discuss quail management, research updates and quail conservation.

“The symposium is open to anyone with an interest in quail, including landowners, land managers, hunters, students and naturalists” said Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy, Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation’s executive director.

The event, hosted by RPQRF, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Wildlife Association, kicks off Aug. 16 with a tour of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch, located between Roby and Snyder.

“We’ll showcase our habitat management practices and update participants on our research and outreach efforts,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We’ll see and discuss management techniques used on the property to optimize habitat for quail and work on plant identification skills with experts while out in the field.”

Participants will convene at the Abilene Convention Center August 16-18 for presentations from leading experts on quail management and research. Sessions will cover everything from hunting gear and technology to resources for landowners to improve and maintain habitat for quail. Speakers will include Dr. Bill Palmer, Research Director and President of Tall Timbers, Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation outreach director Dr. Dale Rollins and TPWD Upland Game Bird program leader John McLaughlin.

Participants may take advantage of discounted early registration by signing up before July 3 for $75 ($100 after). Student rates are $50 for early registration ($75 after). For more information, contact Dana Wright with RPQRF at dwright@quailresearch.org.

—RPQRF

More square feet

Continued from page 4

the range so people can hear what an AR with a suppressor sounds like,” Cote said.

The expanded Mumme’s Gun Room will have plenty to meet the needs of hunters and shooters.

“We have a lot of guns out,” Cote said. “The showroom is pretty big.”

Guns will include everything from rifles, shotguns and handguns to custom-made, high-end firearms. Brands of shotguns alone include Benelli, Beretta, Browning, Caesar Guerini, Winchester and Fabarms. And those needing ammunition need to make a point to head to Hondo.

“We now have an 80-foot section, four rows deep of ammo,” Cote said. “Some ammo is still tough to find.”

Delayed success

Continued from page 4

“Just like the other dozens of hunts for this ram, I sat there for five hours and never even saw him.”

Lively doesn’t like waking up early, but the thought of the old, ghost-like ram giving him the slip at first light sparked a fire.

“I checked the trail camera footage at 3:37 a.m. and there he was sleeping in the middle of the field with some ewes,” he said. “I was out the door by 3:45 and in the blind at 4:17. I had to walk in 800 yards without a flashlight in hopes of not disturbing the sleeping animals. The moonlight hit the blind perfectly, so I could make out the outline of the blind.”

His chance came at 6:04.

“There was just enough light in both my binoculars and riflescope to see him standing, walking towards the ewes that had already started to move out of the field,” Lively said. “I knew this might be my only chance, and I took the shot.”

The unique ram had broomed off the top right side of its horns. Lively had noticed the aoudad was trying to get corn from lower-placed feeders intended for deer, and the ram’s persistence caused the feeder to wear what looked like a crater in the horn.

“I could tell from the game camera photos that the hole was getting progressively larger, which added to the drive to hunt him before it totally broke off,” he said.

The ram weighed 277 pounds and its horns measured 33 and 31 inches.

Music video at the ranch

Continued from page 4

“We were playing weatherman, watching thunderstorm cells,” he said. “Otherwise, I was just a fan taking pictures for the ranch. Tanya is a hoot; she is always singing or humming to herself. And, she got time to go see the giraffes.”

Normandin said Tucker showed her approachable side when he showed her a photo his father sent him.

“It was a photo of him with her record in 1978,” he said. “As soon as she saw it, she had me call my dad so she could thank him. Needless to say, my dad was tickled to death.”

Photo by Ryan Normandin, Y.O. Ranch

Studying quail chicks

Continued from page 1

3,330 miles through quail habitat and count visible birds. Among the regions with the most drastic tilts has been the Rolling Plains, where officials counted an average of 38.17 birds per route between 2015 and 2017, and a mere 2.92 between 2018 and 2022.

This year, however, the Gentleman Bob’s unpredictability feels more like a mirage produced by Texas’ oft-lingering droughts and life-sucking temperatures. Just as the last quail boom followed a healthy dose of rainfall, RPQRF is again seeing the returns of forgiving weather conditions.

“I know you can’t see it, but our ranch looks awesome right now,” said Adam Vonderschmidt, a lead technician who works on the ranch. “The grass, the early forbs, the wildflowers and the rest of the vegetation out here all look incredible.”

Purchased in 2006, the 4,820-acre ranch has recorded more than 380 bobwhite nests since 2010, tracking adult birds and tagging chicks to gather data on quail behavior across wild habitats.

Despite bobwhites’ less-than-ideal stretch within the region, Vonderschmidt said optimism is indeed an appropriate outlook for 2023, which began with a historic start to the breeding season. Researchers on the ranch don’t normally start finding nests before May but recorded 19 in the month of April alone.

Roughly 42 percent of 43 nests are considered completed (meaning the brood experienced a successful hatch), with five nests still considered active.

“I think the rain and the environmental cues play a role in initiation,” Vonderschmidt said. “In terms of nest success, we’re right about at average for our ranch, but in terms of initiation, we’re definitely on the higher end this year, and I think that has a lot to do with the rainfall and the mild temperatures.”

The tracking process begins with three weeks of pre-baiting with milo seed before

researchers deploy box traps with the same bait inside. Capturing an even number of male and female adult birds, researchers aim to have 200 birds collared at a time.

Once a technician notices a bird is stationary for two days, the team will assume it’s likely nesting and wait for the bird to leave the area so a technician can quickly approach to get a clutch count, make note of the vegetation and pinpoint the exact location via GPS without disturbing the nest.

Whenever the bird is off the nest during the 23-day incubation period, a technician will once again move in to check on the status of the brood. Once the eggs hatch, he or she will start a timer for seven days. On the seventh day, they’ll build mesh paneling around the hen and the chicks to attempt a brood capture.

Following a successful capture, the technicians will issue the chicks patagial tags to monitor their survival rate via band returns during the next round of trapping.

So far, the ranch has managed to tag 41 out of 192 hatched chicks — a 21-percent rate — but Vonderschmidt said the goal is to tag as many as possible.

“The chick stage of life is the least researched area of quail ecology,” he said. “We say the goal is 100 tagged chicks, but if we can just keep tagging all season, I’d be all for it. The more tags we get out, the more information we get back in December.”

Vonderschmidt expects nest initiation to continue at least through the end of August, although 2022 did see new nests all the way into October. The recent heatwave could slow things down, depending on how long triple-digit temperatures can sustain across the region, but the team remains encouraged by a groundbreaking breeding season.

“We’re quickly approaching our all-time record for nests on the ranch,” he said. “It’s been an unbelievable year so far.”

EARLY BIRD ENTRIES

April 1 - July 15

Must

Open to all hunters with a Texas hunting license to harvest a Eurasian Collared Dove with a TDHA band on its leg. Every band reported provides data for the TDHA Eurasian Collared Dove research project.

Mammoth hammerhead

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

John-Michael Kamel, and his buddy, Paul Thorburn, recently landed a 13-foot, 4-inch hammerhead shark from the surf along the Padre Island National Seashore. But despite making the trip with the intention of targeting big hammerheads, it took everything coming together for the pair to tangle with the creature.

Kamel has been chasing large sharks in the surf for years, always eyeing the late spring and early summer as the most optimal time to go.

rays, jackfish and tarpon,” he said. “And apex predators, like giant hammerheads, come in to take advantage of it.”

As soon as Kamel and Thorburn could agree on a time window to hit the surf, they packed up and headed straight for PINS riding high hopes.

Upon arrival, the duo was promptly greeted by strong winds, a rough current and a whole lot of seaweed, so they continued south until they could find a stretch of water with a little more clarity, just north of the Port Mansfield jetties.

“The current was ripping along the beach, and the water was flowing like a river in the first and second guts,” Kamel said. “This seemed to push the baitfish a little farther offshore than we would have preferred.”

After chasing mullet for most of the day, the anglers had gotten ahold of enough finger mullet to catch three stingrays, which ranged from 20 to 35 pounds. With enough shark bait to deploy a spread of rods, they were able to start shark fishing late in the af-

Find the shade for Lake Austin bass

By Robert Sloan

As big bass begin lurking beneath, behind and be side structures to hide from the heat, boat docks are becoming key targets for anglers on Lake Austin.

This isn’t a secret among anglers in the area, as Texas heat has always sent anglers to shaded waters. However, a delayed heatwave across the state has fishermen counting on their favorite docks for the first time this summer.

Local fishing guide Carson Conklin likes to slingshot and skip lures as far up under a dock as he can. Although tackle can vary, he recommends a Texasrigged Senko that’s about 5 inches long.

“The bass will be feeding under the boat docks throughout the day, and they will be eating blue gill,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of bass-attracting structure on this lake, but we do have the boat docks and brush piles. They can be caught on soft plastics, with the best colors being green pumpkin and water melon seed. The key is to skip a lure under the dock so that it comes down in the shade. That’s the best tactic for getting the most bites.”

Conklin, who’s been guiding on the lake for eight years, says fishing the docks is an especially reliable approach on the weekends when the lake is overrun with boats.

However, with water temperatures holding in the upper 70s at a full water level, the best bass fisher men know to be on the water early and late to chase bigger fish. tube jigs around the boat docks. And, with strong

anywhere from 250 to 400 yards out, a little past the sand bars. The hammerhead ended up striking a whole, 25-pound stingray they dropped just over the third sandbar. Line started screaming off Kamel’s 80-wide-sized reel as soon as the shark took the bait right at sundown.

“I hopped up on the rack of my truck and fed the shark line for about 20 seconds, and then slowly applied drag,” Kamel said. “The more drag I applied, the harder the shark fought. It was incredible how fast it was moving. I just

knew we had hooked a large hamNot long after the fight started, Kamel had to crank the drag all the way up on his reel just to stop the shark from running any farther.

“Once I stopped the shark, I knew we had a decent chance of landing it,” Kamel said. “It became a stalemate for a little while, and then she started moving down-current.”

From the time they hooked up with the shark, a lightning storm had begun for ing over Port Mansfield and was continuing to build. Temperatures were dropping and

Please turn to page 15

Surf producing from Sabine to Port O’Connor

By Robert Sloan For Lone Star outdoor newS

On a green tide, the surf has been giving up impressive numbers of trout and redfish. Live baits like croaker and shrimp have been good, as have a variety of artificial lures.

Some of the best fishing has been on the east side of the Port O’Connor jetties and east toward Matagorda, according to guide Ron Arlitt, whose clients were able to take advantage of particularly calm winds during a recent POC jaunt.

“The water has been in really good shape on a calm day,” Arlitt said. “We caught it just right and caught reds up in the first gut, and trout out a little deeper. We used live croaker. On one day, it was a real strange bite on the reds. They would only hit the bigger croaker instead of the smaller ones. It’s something different every day in the surf.”

The bite in the POC surf has also reportedly been good from the south jetty down past the lighthouse, according to surf fishing enthusiast Robert Anderson.

Primarily fishing the surf near San Luis up to POC, Anderson has been finding success fishing soft plastics rigged on 1/4-ounce jig heads.

“We caught the water green to the beach near Surfside, a few miles east of the Freeport jetties,” he said. “We found a bait camp that had good-sized shrimp and used those under slip corks. But we also free-lined the shrimp with a split shot. Live bait is good in the surf, but when the water is really clear, lures like a silver spoon or some sort of mullet imitation work really well.”

Guide Charlie Paradoski, out of Matagorda, has been fishing the surf well east of the POC jetties. However, as a lure-only

For Lone Star outdoor newS

After an hour-long adventure, two friends landed and released this 13-foot, 4-inch hammerhead shark along the Padre Island National Seashore.

Photo from John-Michael Kamel.

Carson Conklin skipped a lure under a boat dock to catch this largemouth on Lake Austin. Photo from Carson Conklin.

Angler lands 9.09-pound bass in tourney

By Eric Pickhartz

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Megan Wade is no stranger to tournament fishing, and certainly no stranger to Lake Fork. The 33-year-old lives in Garland and frequents the property she and her husband own at the lake’s well-known Mustang Resort. She has fished in tournaments for more than a decade, mostly with her father whom she credits as the one who got her into fishing and hunting.

But her participation alongside her dad in the Skeeter Owners Big Bass Tournament, held June 10, is the event that will stick out in her mind the most for years to come, as it led to a first-place finish and the biggest largemouth of her life.

Wade, who’s a member of the North Texas Women’s Fishing Pro Staff and a past winner of the Ladies Division in the same Skeeter Owners event, said she started the tournament without a bite all morning. Her lack of a definitive game plan and warm-but-windy conditions led her and her dad to opt for a favorite Lake Fork strategy: fishing docks.

“We kind of tried everything that morning and said, ‘What the heck, let’s go run north and test it out,’” Wade said. She opted for a Texas rig with a 6th Sense Watermelon Gill Hogwalla dipped in chartreuse Dip-N-Glo. The rest of her setup included a 20-pound braid and a

14-pound fluorocarbon leader.

“I threw into a brush pile in about 3 feet of water next to a dock and bam,” Wade said.

It didn’t take long for the largemouth to reveal itself, adding to the excitement of the moment.

“My line got heavy and I set the hook, and two seconds later this fish comes out of the water head-shaking,” Wade said. “I started yelling and jumping up and down so loud that the owner of the dock, Jim, came running down. I was yelling at my dad that it was the biggest fish of my life. I was scared that with the spinning reel, I might not be able to get it in or it would shake off, but that rod did the work and got her to the boat. It felt like it took 20 minutes but I’m sure it was only a couple.”

The fish officially weighed 9.09 pounds, beating Wade’s previous personal-best of 7.52 pounds (which she caught on the same lake). The catch won Wade $775 for the hourly biggest bass, plus the trophy, plaque and around $1,500 in prizes given to the first-place finisher in the Ladies Division.

Those are all well and good, but Wade said she appreciates the experience, prizes or not.

“The memory of catching this fish with my dad in the tournament and the adrenaline I had is priceless,” she said.

Taking a day off

Guides, anglers clean up Port Mansfield Cut, beach

By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star outdoor newS

On June 10, boat owners and guides took a day off from fishing to participate in the Port Mansfield Cut & Beach Cleanup. Of the 40 boat owners who left from the dock of the local chamber of commerce, about half belonged to fishing enthusiasts, and the rest to fishing guides.

One guide who participated was Santa Monica resident Rene Hinojosa, who has attended the annual event since it began back in 2009.

“I like to keep the bay clean by doing my

part,” he said.

With more than 30 years of guiding experience, Hinojosa said he’s happy to sacrifice a day of fishing if it benefits the waters he regularly fishes, even if it means his income has to take a hit.

Miller and Kathie Bassler, conceived the event when Hurricane Dolly walloped the Texas Gulf Coast 14 years ago, leaving a trail of trash and destruction behind.

“We decided to do something about it,” Miller said.

The Basslers were fishing with Hinojosa as customers when they shared their plans about the cleanup, and Hinojosa didn’t hesitate to step in and lend a hand.

The actual trash pickup starts about a quarter-mile across Laguna Madre and

Megan Wade landed this 9.09-pound largemouth in the Skeeter Owners Tournament on Lake Fork to win first place in the ladies division.

Photo from Megan Wade.

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 78 degrees; 2.99’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 47.66’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits, finesse worms, top-waters and creature baits. Catfish are good on cheese bait.

ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 2.02’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits and Texasrigged soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

ATHENS: Water clear; 84-87 degrees; 0.33’ high. Largemouth bass are good on small swimbaits, jigs, Carolina rigs and dropshots. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows.

AUSTIN: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.51’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water frogs, heavy jigs and swimbaits.

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on hollow-body frogs and white and chartreuse swim jigs.

BASTROP: Water lightly stained; 90-94 degrees.

Largemouth bass are fair to good on creature baits, white swimbaits and drop shots.

BELTON: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; 12.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good on small silver and white top-waters and pet spoons. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait, prepared baits and cut chicken.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 81 degrees; 0.34’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on jigging spoons. Catfish are good on minnows and worms.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms, deepdiving crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are good on chicken liver and worms.

BRAUNIG: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees. Redfish are good on Gulf shrimp, crawfish and spoons. Channel catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, liver, cut bait and shrimp.

BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 80-84 degrees; 4.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastic worms. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair in the lights on crankbaits, jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on cut gizzard shad.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees; 15.53’ low. Striped bass are fair to good trolling live bait. White bass are fair on top-waters.

CADDO: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.67’ high. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, wacky worms and finesse worms.

CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained, 82 degrees. Redfish are good trolling red or dark soft plastics and small silver spoons. Blue and channel catfish are good on liver, shad, frozen shrimp and nightcrawlers.

CANYON: Water clear; 81 degrees; 12.26’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters and Texasrigged worms.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 77-83 degrees; 0.24’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on long worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on silver slabs.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 80 degrees; 23.66’ low. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on top-waters and Texas-rigged worms. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on black/chartreuse grubs.

CONROE: Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.26’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and swimbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Hybrid striped bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on prepared baits, liver and worms.

COOPER: Water lightly stained; 82 degrees. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 80 degrees; 2.46’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water frogs and soft plastics. White bass are good on jigs and trolling small crankbaits. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cheese bait and cut bait.

CYPRESS SPRINGS: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are good on chicken liver and worms.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 79 degrees; 3.22’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair to slow on crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair to good on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.

FALCON: Water stained; 78 degrees; 34.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and drop shots. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are excellent on cut shad and shrimp.

FAYETTE: Water stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on green/pumpkin crea-

ture baits and drop shots.

FORK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.88’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigs with big worms, top-water frogs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on hand-tied jigs and minnows.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 74-78 degrees; 4.60’ low. Largemout bass are good on top-waters, jigs, crankbaits and dark worms. Crappie are excellent on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on crankbaits and jigs. Channel catfish are good on worms and prepared baits.

GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 1.32’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and crankbaits. Striped bass are fair to good on live bait and trolling umbrella rigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and small minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 80 degrees; 0.21’ high. Smallmouth bass are fair to good on soft plastics. White bass are slow to fair trolling diving lures.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 79 degrees; 0.15’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, squarebilled crankbaits and shaky heads. Crappie are good on minnows.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 8.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Blue catfish are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with perch.

JACKSONVILLE: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.04’ high. Largemouth bass are good on frogs, swim jigs and finesse worms.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 75-79 degrees; 0.82’ high. Largemouth bass are good on finesse jigs with a craw trailer, creatures and Carolina rigs.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.91’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, deep-diving crankbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are good on chicken liver and worms.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.83’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on black/chartreuse and white/chartreuse jigs. White bass are fair on white or chartreuse slabs with a jig tied above the slab. Channel catfish are good on punch bait, cut shad and chicken liver.

LBJ: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.28’ low. Crappie are good on live minnows and

chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 83-85 degrees; 0.34’ low. White bass are fair to good on slabs, jigs and live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good drifting cut shad and chicken breasts.

LIMESTONE: Water clear; 85 degrees; 0.09’ high. Crappie are good on minnows.

Largemouth bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, top-water frogs and spinner baits. White bass are good on silver jigging spoons. Catfish are good on cut bait.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.18’ high. White bass are excellent on white/chartreuse slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on shad and cut bait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 90-95 degrees; 0.20’ high. Largemouth bass are good on red bug worms, underspins and top-water frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on jug lines baited with live or cut bait.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 68-72 degrees; 44.63’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on minnows and soft plastics. White bass are excellent on minnows and curly tailed grubs. Walleye are good on crankbaits, minnows and artificials. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, chicken liver, minnows and frozen shad.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 6.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are good trolling slabs. Blue and channel catfish are good on juglines.

NACOGDOCHES: Water clear; 80-85 degrees; 0.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on on top-waters and shad swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows.

NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water frogs jerkbaits and underpins. Catfish are slow.

NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water frogs, soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 78 degrees; 1.00’ high. Crappie are good tipping jigs with minnows.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 76-79 degrees; 24.60’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and soft plastics. White bass are good on crankbaits. Catfish are fair on live bait and cut bait.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 12.48’

low. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on silver spoons and chartreuse spinner baits. Channel catfish are good on worms and shrimp.

PALESTINE: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.05’ high. Largemouth bass are good on finesse worms and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on chrome lipless crankbaits and jigging spoons. Channel catfish are good on nightcrawlers and punch bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 80-84 degrees; 0.34’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are fair on small live shad and white and bone top-waters. Catfish are good on cut shad.

RAVEN: Water clear; 82 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on chrome lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait and prepared baits.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 81-85 degrees; 0.25’ low. White bass are good on slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

RAY ROBERTS: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.03’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and drop shots. White bass are slow.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 80 degrees; 0.11’ high. White bass are fair on small swimbaits. Hybrid striped bass are fair on shad. Blue catfish are fair on shad and punch bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 84 degrees; 0.16’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water frogs, Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs and silver spoons. Blue and channel catfish are good on cut bait.

SOMERVILLE: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 1.10’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigs and spinner baits. Crappie are excellent in the spillway below the dam on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on pet spoons and shad. Catfish are good on shad and cut bait.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 83 degrees; 13.18’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. White bass are fair on top-waters and slabs.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.16’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless flukes, chatterbaits and crankbaits. Hybrid striped bass and white bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are excellent on prepared baits.

n Saltwater reports Page 21

n Guide reports Page 20

TEXOMA: Water stained; 78 degrees; 1.28’ low. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on live shad. Striped bass are good on swimbaits, slabs, live shad and topwaters. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 80-84 degrees; 0.73’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-water frogs and soft plastics. Crappie are slow.

TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 42.10’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, jerkbaits and chatter baits.

TWIN BUTTES: Water stained. 85 degrees; 23.70’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are are fair on top-waters. Crappie are slow.

TYLER: Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.10’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are slow.

WACO: Water stained; 77 degrees; 7.25’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on jigs tipped with minnows.

WALTER E. LONG: Water stained; 87 degrees; 1.00’ high. Largemouth bass are good on senko-style worms. Striped bass are fair on roadrunners and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 4.57’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait, swimbaits and downrigging jigs.

WORTH: Water stained; 75 degrees; 2.34’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on finesse worms and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs with white color combinations. Catfish are good on cut shad and cut bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.93’ high. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait.

—TPWD

F

Fishing guide focuses on teaching novice anglers

By Nate Skinner

on Sam Rayburn Reservoir to help others learn how to become the best anglers they can be. He has a passion for teaching and showing others the skills needed to find success on the water.

As a former Army 82nd Airborne Paratrooper, Marler has been working with others and motivating those around him to succeed for the better part of his life.

“That’s what we did in the military,” Marler said. “We all worked together to achieve a common goal, and through that, we learned about our team members’ strengths and weaknesses. This taught me how to not only achieve success by using the skills that I possessed, but it also taught me how to help others tap into the skills that they had. I basically do the same thing now, I’m just on a boat instead of jumping out of an aircraft, working with folks so that they can catch more fish.”

Marler grew up in Goose Creek Lake, Missouri, where he started fishing at a young age with his father. When he was as young as 10 years old, he would race home from school every Tuesday to get his homework done as quickly as he could, as a local bass tournament called his name most weeks. And, with all his work done, begging his father to take him out to compete would be a little easier.

“The passion for competing and learning how to figure out where the fish were and how to catch them has been instilled in me ever since,” he said.

As Marler matured and progressed as an angler in his teenage years, his dad started taking him along to club tournaments on other lakes, which was enough to hook Marler for life.

He joined the military in his early 20s and served through late 2018, putting fishing on the back burner for nearly nine years.

When he left the army, he told his wife he wanted to live near a lake or multiple lakes in Texas where he could go bass fishing regularly. They ultimately settled in Jasper, where he had access to Sam Rayburn Reservoir at his fingertips.

After settling down in Texas, Marler became a physical education teacher.

“I’ve always enjoyed teaching others, so a career in education just made sense,” Marler said.

While teaching, Marler spent the majority of his free time learning how to fish

Sam Rayburn Reservoir and eventually

“I became very active on social media, ing regularly about tips and tactics that were working for me on the water,” Mar ler explained. “All of a sudden, I started getting a bunch of requests from folks to take them out fishing. These requests continued to come in more regularly as I became more active both on social media and on the bass fishing tournament scene. I finally decided to take a leap of faith, and here I am. I’ve been guiding full time since the early fall of 2022.”

His favorite way to pursue bass on Rayburn has become chasing them offshore in deep water with crankbaits. He loves the challenge of locating fish in deep water and loves even more to show anglers how to do something many aren’t familiar with.

In fact, in addition to guided fishing trips, Marler offers master classes that focus on teaching folks how to use their electronics to find and catch fish. Whether he’s on the Internet or on the water, though, the fishing guide makes a point of teaching others in a way that’s open and easy to understand.

“I’ve always tried to relate to the average, working-class angler, if you will,” he said. “Because that’s who I am. I find joy in working hard and grinding to figure out how to become a better angler, and I want to show people that they can do that, too. Most folks have what it takes to be successful on the water. They just need to believe in themselves and tap into the skills that they already have. My goal is to show them that when I take them fishing.”

Marler started getting clients from across the nation, not just local Texans, as his guiding business progressed.

“My goal is to develop a reputation that I’m going to provide you with the truth when you come fishing with me,” he said.

“I don’t just want to tell you to cast in a certain spot and then set the hook. I want you to be able to take home a set of skills at the end of the day that you can use on your own.”

One of Marler’s favorite aspects of guiding is receiving photos of nice bass and follow-up messages from clients who have been able to apply the tools he has taught them to their own personal time spent on the water.

“It really is a cool feeling to see a client of mine grow as an angler,” he admitted.

Former Army paratrooper Chad Marler applies the skills he learned from serving when guiding bass anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Photo from Chad Marler.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

MAN FALLS OVERBOARD OFFSHORE

After receiving a call that a man had fallen overboard 12 miles off the Bob Hall Pier, the Coast Guard rescued a man from the water near Corpus Christi. A helicopter and crew, along with a response boat, was launched. After several hours, the response boat located the man and pulled him from the water. The man was located clinging to an ice chest; the two other adults aboard the craft had lost sight of him. The man was uninjured, so the boat crew returned him to his friends.

WARDENS JOIN PERRYTON TORNADO EFFORTS

After a deadly tornado hit Perryton, in Ochiltree County, Texas, game wardens assisted law enforcement officials from the Texas Panhandle and southwestern Oklahoma with recovery and law enforcement efforts. The tornado killed three people and damaged or destroyed at least 30 trailers in a mobile home park. Approximately 100 people were treated with injuries ranging from head trauma to abrasions. Perryton, located northeast of Amarillo, has a population of more than 8,000 people. The tornado

WARDENS ASSIST WITH FLOOD RESCUES

During historic flooding along the Canadian River, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance with swift-water search and rescue needs from Texas game wardens. Along with local game wardens, members of the game warden search and rescue team responded with swift-water boats and additional resources. Within hours, wardens arrived on the scene and initiated coordination efforts to deploy search-and-rescue boats and teams to the northern Panhandle area. Potter County officials initiated an incident command structure to streamline the response to the flooding. Under that process, the team facilitated multiple vehicle-related rescues at low-level water crossings. Potter and Randall County Fire and Rescue, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Public Safety and others assisted with the response.

was rated an EF3 that packed estimated peak winds of 140 mph, according to preliminary findings from the National Weather Service. It touched down for about 11 minutes and traveled for a length of more than 6 miles. The tornado damaged homes and businesses, including the local fire department and EMS. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for communities impacted by the severe storms

and tornadoes in Ochiltree and Cass counties. On the northeast side of town, about 300 people were sheltered inside Perryton High School.

DRONE FINDS MISSING MAN

A Texas game warden requested assistance from drone operator Michael Hummert and K9 handler Derek Nalls regarding a missing person report out of Callahan County. It was reported the indi-

vidual suffered from multiple health issues and because night had set in, a quick response was necessary. While Nalls and his K9, Skye, tracked on the ground, Hummert launched his heat-seeking drone. During his second sweep of the area, Hummert observed a heat signature. He directed fellow wardens and local law enforcement to the location where they found the subject, thirsty but in good health.

SPONSORED BY:

After an EMS evaluation, the individual was able to return home.

RESCUE AFTER RISKY RIVER CROSSING

The Coast Guard rescued seven people suspected of entering the country illegally on the Rio Grande near McAllen. A 29-foot Response Boat was patrolling the Rio Grande at approximately 7 a.m. when they received a report from U.S. Border Patrol of individuals attempting to cross the river nearby. The crew encountered a raft with one suspected smuggler and seven individuals aboard, including six children ranging in age from 5 to 16. When the Coast Guard crew approached, the smuggler jumped overboard, swam back to the Mexican riverbank, and the raft began to sink. The crew rescued the woman and six children from the sinking raft, brought the survivors safely ashore, and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for processing.

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

AN AMERICAN LEGEND

Ken Eaton holds an 11.3-pound largemouth bass caught with guide Brett Cannon on O.H. Ivie on May 26.

Heidi Sweet with her largest redfish of 27 3/4 inches while fishing with her husband in Corpus Christi.

Cory Hamman, of San Antonio, caught this speckled trout while fishing near Port Mansfield with Capt. Steve Ellis.

Kristi Hall holds a 52-inch tarpon after a 25-minute fight near the end of the Port Aransas jetties.

Dwight Pruitt, of Texarkana, Arkansas, shot this big axis buck at the Rio Rojo Rancho.

the wind was gusting, making the northbound current even stronger, but also posing a threat to the saltwater battle of a lifetime.

“We knew time was of the essence,” Kamel said. “So I ended up driving north, about 1,200 yards or so down the beach, while Thorburn kept the line tight and applied steady pressure on the shark with the rod and reel from up on the rack of the truck.”

Once they caught up to the hammerhead, it was swimming in the second gut. Kamel made his way out to the first sandbar and grabbed the leader before realizing the shark ran aground on the first sandbar.

Without wasting any time, they quickly took photos and helped it swim safely to deeper water.

They had hooked, fought, landed and released the 13-foot, 4-inch hammerhead — the largest Kamel has ever caught — in just under an hour.

“The feeling we got while standing in the water next to a hammerhead of that size was indescribable,” he said.

fisherman, he’s mostly stuck to MirrOlure plugs in the surf.

“A top-water is the most fun in the surf,” he said. “Having a trout blow up on a top-water never gets old. Some of my favorites include a Topdog or a Heddon Super Spook Jr. The best colors are bone, pink/silver or chartreuse. Both lures can cast a long way, allowing you to cover lots of water. Another good option is a silver spoon with a pink teaser on the treble hook.”

Paradoski argues slow-sinking lures have often worked best in the surf, especially when trout are holding out past the second gut. He’s partial to a MirrOlure Soft Dine in the pearl color offering with a chartreuse or black back.

When fishing the surf, looking for

birds is paramount, whether they’re in the water or on the beach. A group of pelicans or gulls can quickly spot light a vulnerable school of trout.

Greg Gamble, who has been fishing the surf along the Texas Gulf Coast since the 1970s, has been regularly exploiting birds south of the POC jetties this year to snatch up

angler recently fished a wreck several miles past the POC lighthouse where he spotted a flock of pelicans feeding.

“I like to fish anything in the surf that will hold trout,” he said. “The water was green, mullet were all over the place and the trout were hungry.”

use heavy enough line so that the fish don’t cut you off on the rocks when you bring them in to land them.”

Molina has been using heavyduty spinning setups with 30to 40-pound braid as his main line, paired with a 200-pound monofilament leader that’s tied to his lure. This allows him to pull the jackfish up over the rocks and onto the jetty.

When the jacks aren’t schooling along the surface, the angler will start working magnum topwater plugs aggressively across the surface to entice a response. If he can’t get a bite up top, he’ll switch to a spoon and let it sink to the bottom before retrieving it through the water column.

“Blind-casting top-waters has worked pretty well,” he said. “Spoons have been drawing strikes later in the day when the schooling action has slowed down.”

Molina said the jacks have been stacked up in the first, second and third guts of the surf near the beach during the early morning hours.

“The later it gets, the farther out they seem to go, and that’s when I’ve been catching more jacks out toward the end of the jetty,” he explained.

Fellow angler Dat Van also has been catching jacks from the Surfside Jetty. He said most of the jackfish he has been catching are hanging out near the end of the jetty.

“One of the most difficult aspects of chasing jackfish from the jetty has been trying to keep a fish that you’re hooked up with from getting tangled in other anglers’ lines,” Van said. “When a big school swims within casting distance, just about everybody that’s fishing from the jetty seems to hook up. Then, all of a sudden, there are jacks swimming in every direction. It can get pretty chaotic at times.”

Van has been casting 3-ounce spoons and large, popper-style top-water lures at the jacks.

“The action has been pretty steady,” he said. “Chasing these jacks is a whole lot of fun.”

Birds, including gulls and pelicans, show the way to schooling speckled trout along the shore and jetties. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Former Mowdy Boats owner dies

Frank Ray Crapitto, the former owner of Mowdy Boats of Texas, died June 12 at the age of 80.

Crapitto graduated from Lamar High School in Houston and Texas A&M University with a degree in Agricultural Science. He also owned and operated AdCorp Sign Company, Crapitto’s Cucina Italiana and Frank’s Chop House.

A member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for more than 50 years, Crapitto was also a lifetime member of the HLSR Board of Directors. He spent weekends at his Port O’Connor house and summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with his wife Doreen, where they fly-fished the Snake River. —Staff report

Avoiding the sun

Continued from page 8

crappie and bluegill populations across the lake, there’s always something to fish for. “Jigs fished under the boat docks will catch both bluegill and crappie,” Conklin said. “That’s something you can do all day long and stay out of the boat traffic on the main lake.”

The lake once featured an abundance of aquatic vegetation, but nowadays it can be harder to come by. According to Conklin, however, the sparse, small pockets of grass do

Gateway Lodge, the Red Fish Condominiums, Harbor Bait & Tackle, The Sportsman, Mark and Bonnie Brown, Boy’s Seafood Inc. and the local chamber.

Volunteers, made up of fishermen and guides, cleaned trash from the Port Mansfield Cut and south jetty.

Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Solution on Page 22

Fishing industry acquisitions

Fishing business leader Angie Thompson acquired fishing trade media platforms, Fishing Tackle Retailer and The Fishing Wire.

Douglas moves to EarthX

Jason Douglas, formerly the Texas regional director for Delta Waterfowl Foundation, was named the executive director of EarthX Conservation Ambassadors Foundation in Dallas.

Former S&W CEO dies

Michael F. Golden, the former chief executive officer of Smith & Wesson, passed away unexpectedly on June 5. Golden was CEO from 2004 until 2011 and continued to serve on the board of directors.

Denman named CEO

Diamondback Firearms named Faith Denman as its new chief executive officer.

Marketing agency named

Tagua Gunleather named RubLine Marketing its agency for branding and marketing services.

Mitchell promoted at Yamaha Marine

Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit promoted Will Mitchell to district sales manager to grow relationships with boat builders.

Exec named at Code of Silence

Jaime Dykman was named the new vice president of operations of Code of Silence.

PR agency for Walther Arms

Walther Arms, Inc. retained Fire and Lace Consulting as its public relations agency.

Big Tine’s sales agency

Big Tine, a feed and food plot manufacturer, retained Kelly Brand Management to manage its U.S. and Canadian sales.

Marketing director at EAA

EAA Corp (Eastern American Arms Corp.) named Sam Mockensturm as the company’s new director of marketing.

ACROSS

1) West Texas lake

4) They protect the fish’s skin

6) One of the crappie

9) Spinner bait brand (two words)

10) Quitman’s county

11) Growth off the main beam

13) Trout species

14) Texas’ shortest river

18) Huntsville’s county

19) One of Leopold’s five tools

21) Laredo’s lake, Casa _____

23) The dove hunter’s month

26) Fishing line brand

27) A setter

28) Muleshoe’s county

33) Hungarian hunting dog breed

36) The small dove

38) African game species

39) Hunting boot brand

40) A coastal bay

41) East Texas lake

42) Zimbabwe’s capital

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

DOWN

2) One of the Great Lakes

3) Safari destination

4) Ammo brand

5) Rifle brand

6) Sinker type

7) Shotshell brand

8) Fishing TV host

11) A clay target sport

12) West Texas lake

15) Bear-hunting state

16) One of the sunfish

17) Thermal optics brand

20) Spinner bait blade type

22) Type of fishing leader

23) An African wild cat

24) Reeves County’s seat

25) The nonnative dove

29) The female red stag

30) Binocular brand

31) DeWitt County’s seat

32) Shorebird species

34) Group of fish

35) Taylor County’s seat

37) The tail fin

6 tbsps. butter, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup seafood stock

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsps. parsley, chopped

1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs

4-6 catfish fillets

2 tbsps. lemon juice

1 tsp. fresh parsley, minced

Paprika

Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning

*email LSON your favorite recipe to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Shrimp stuffed catfish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, melt the cubed butter over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, celery, bell pepper and green pepper, and sauté until tender. Add in garlic and parsley, and sauté until garlic is fragrant. Add in the stock and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Season shrimp with Tony’s seasoning and stir into skillet mixture. Poach shrimp until they turn pink. Remove shrimp mixture from heat and stir in breadcrumbs until well combined. Combine melted butter and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside. Season catfish. Flip catfish so that they’re bottom side up. Spoon about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of stuffing onto each fillet and roll them up. Place the rolled stuffed catfish filets seam-side down into a greased baking dish and pour the combined melted butter and lemon juice over the fillets. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Transfer baking dish to top rack and set oven to broil for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with more parsley and serve.

—tonychacheres.com

Venison stuffed mini sweet peppers

1 pound ground venison

1 egg, whisked

1 tbsp. paprika

1 tbsp. Montreal steak

seasoning

1 cup spicy vegetable juice

2 cups rice, cooked

4 tbsps. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 lbs. mini sweet peppers

1 24-oz. jar marinara sauce

1/2 cup cabernet wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the first eight ingredients in a large bowl. Cover bowl and refrigerate. Prepare peppers by cutting the tops off and cleaning out seeds. Stuff the peppers with venison mixture. Place stuffed peppers into a casserole dish. Pour marinara sauce and wine over the peppers. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 45-50 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

—Ohio DNR

Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo in 32nd year

Can you believe it has been 32 years?

It’s that time of year again when hunters and outdoorsmen from across Texas head south to the McAllen Convention Center July 21-23 to experience one of the best outdoor shows in the country — the Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo.

“We have had solid crowds over the past 31 years and the show’s attendance continues to grow each year,” show director Justin Curl said. “This three-day weekend event is expected to draw several thousand hunting and fishing enthusiasts and visitors from both sides of the border.”

Exhibits for everyone, including women and children, and all types of retailers will be on hand for attendees to check out.

“Another thing we want to focus on this year is the fact that we are going to have items for everyone, as usual, and a variety of exhibits to enjoy,” Curl said.

Want to go on a great hunt? The expo is recognized as the highest-quality hunting and fishing show in South Texas, with outfitters from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Africa booking hunts for white-tailed deer, exotics, bear, moose, elk, mule deer, turkey, quail, pheasant, dove and waterfowl.

Is fishing more your thing? Come and speak with trophy guides for bass and saltwater game fish. Also, a huge display of boats, motors, rods, reels, fishing lights, tackle and more waits for you this year.

Manufacturers and dealers will also be in attendance, offering special show prices on hunting blinds, ATVs, camouflage clothing, ranching equipment, tractors, hunting accessories and more.

“This is a show the entire family can enjoy,” Curl said. “There is something here for everyone.”

Feature attractions:

Wildlife artist Don Breeden

WOW Trophy Whitetail Display

Roxor hunting vehicle

Hourly giveaways

CCA boat raffle

Frank Addington Jr., “The Aspirin Buster”

Live Rattlesnake Pit

Operation Game Thief Wildlife Trailer

KTO Ice Chest Super Display

Meet and greet with Pedro Sors, host of Con Cana y Carette

VIP Friday Night live country music by

Southern Ashes Band

Admission prices are $15 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and children 12 and under are free. Better yet, the prices are good all weekend. For information, call (956) 664-2884 or visit texashunterassociation.com.

Show Dates and Times:

Friday, July 21 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday, July 22 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday, July 23 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Photo from Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo

IDAHO Grizzly mistaken for black bear

On June 8, a nonresident hunter shot and killed a male grizzly bear he mistook for a black bear. The bear was killed in Idaho’s Panhandle. After shooting the bear and identifying it as a grizzly, the hunter contacted Idaho Fish and Game and is cooperating with the investigation.

Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law, and bear hunters are responsible for proper identification of their target. Size and color of the animal are not reliable indicators of species. Grizzlies typically have short, rounded ears, a dished facial profile, a prominent shoulder hump and 2-4 inch long claws.

—IDFG

NEBRASKA Record carp

Chuck Hensel, of Valentine, was fishing Merritt Reservoir in April baited with tiny wax worms. He landed a giant common carp. Hensel’s common carp beat the old Nebraska state record by more than 4 1/2 pounds. His fish was more than 40 inches long and weighed 39 pounds, 8 ounces.

—NGPC

INTERNATIONAL MANITOBA, CANADA Deadline for U.S. waterfowl hunters

Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development announced new licensing requirements for foreign resident migratory bird hunters in the province beginning with the 2023 hunting season.

Under the new regulations there will be three categories of foreign resident licenses: 1) a seven-day permit for freelance hunters issued via a drawing, 2) a legacy migratory gamebird license for grandfathered property interest holders, and 3) a seven-day permit purchased through a licensed Manitoba outfitter.

Hunters who want to go to Manitoba and hunt on their own this fall will need to apply via the e-licensing portal by July 15. All hunters who apply via the portal within the proper time frame will receive a license, but will be limited to one seven-day period during the season.

Another portion of the regulation change reduces the number of outfitters licensed to guide waterfowl hunters in Manitoba by approximately 50 percent, intended to crack down on rogue outfitters who have operated illegally in the province.

—Staff report

FISHING REPORTS FROM THE GUIDES

Calaveras: Manny Martinez of fishingwithmanny.com reports the blue catfish bite is excellent. He said big schools of blue catfish are roaming in 15-25 feet of water and fish up to 15 pounds can be caught in a variety of ways, but trolling artificial baits is among the best techniques. The fish also can be caught drifting live bait or using prepared baits or cut baits from the bank around points and coves. He said he expects the fishing for blue cats will continue to be good throughout the hotter temperatures.

Sam Rayburn: Chance Burton of etxbackwateroutfitters.com reports the bass fishing to be pretty good. He said some smaller bass can be caught shallow early in the day on top-water baits like frogs, but the better bite has been offshore after the sun gets up. Carolina rigs and Texas rigs fished in 20-25 feet of water around points and creek channel swings are producing the better fish. Deepdiving crankbaits and big plastic worms, along with windier days are helping with the offshore bite.

Alan Henry: Randy Britton on Facebook at Lake Alan Henry Crappie Guide said the crappie fishing has gotten better as the lake level settles after a recent rise of about 10 feet. He reports that most of his fish are being caught over brush piles coming up to about 17 feet deep in 30 feet of water. He said minnows are outproducing jigs and the fish can be spooky at times on calmer days.

CUSTOM HATWEAR BASED IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

SABINE LAKE: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are good on shrimp under a popping cork and glow chartreuse plastics. Redfish are good on artificials and topwaters on rock edges and points.

BOLIVAR: 84 degrees. Redfish and black drum are fair on dead shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on free-lined shrimp and croaker.

TRINITY BAY: 84 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics, croaker and live shrimp.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Redfish are fair on shrimp and paddle tails.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 87 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on croaker and shrimp.

TEXAS CITY: 83 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on free-lined shrimp, croaker and shrimp under popping corks.

FREEPORT: 84 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair in the surf on shrimp under a popping cork and croaker.

PORT O’CONNOR: 84 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good in the surf on croaker and shrimp. Redfish are fair on blue crab.

ROCKPORT: 85 degrees. Redfish are good on cut mullet and soft plastics. Speckled trout are good on top-waters and soft plastics. Black drum are good on dead shrimp and scented plastics.

PORT ARANSAS: 85 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair in the surf on free-lined croaker. Black drum are fair on dead shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are fair to good on free-lined croaker and shrimp. Redfish are fair on cut mullet.

BAFFIN BAY: 85 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on paddle tails, croaker, top-waters, swimbaits and scented plastics under a popping cork.

PORT MANSFIELD: 83 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on paddle tails and small plastics.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 84 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are slow to fair wading with soft plastics.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 84 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair to slow wading with artificials and shrimp.

SOUTH PADRE: 84 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on free-lined shrimp. Redfish are slow.

Looking for a day of shooting that’s not your average day at the range?

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Texas Hunt Co has just what you need...a good ol’ Texas Prairie Dog Hunt! These are probably the most fun hunts we have on offer! We’ve got enough prairie dogs to keep you shootin’ til you—or your barrel—need a break! Ask about our large group rates and bring your friends and family for a day of sun, guns, and fun! Contact us now to book your Texas Prairie Dog Safari Adventure!

—TPWD

DATEBOOK

JUNE 23-25

DUCKS UNLIMITED

State Convention

Texas A&M Hotel & Conference Center College Station ducks.org

JUNE 25

TX SHOOTOUT ON LAKE FORK

Lake Fork Marina (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

JUNE 29

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Matagorda Bays Banquet

El Campo Civic Center (979) 578-3084 ccatexas.org

JULY 8-9

TEXAS GUN & KNIFE SHOWS

Kerrville Expo Hall (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknifeshow.com

JULY 8

EAST TEXAS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB

Sportsman’s Night Out

The Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center Nacogdoches easttexassportsmansclub.org

JULY 13-15

TEXAS WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

WildLife Convention

JW Marriott, San Antonio texas-wildlife.org

JULY 15

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

40th Anniversary Casino Night Houston Distributing (832) 467-0926 nwtf.org

JULY 20-23

DALLAS BOAT SHOW

Dallas Market Hall (972) 978-8217 dallasboatexpo.com

JULY 21-23

TEXAS HUNTERS & SPORTMAN’S EXPO

McAllen Convention Center (956) 664-2884 texashunterassociation.com

JULY 28-29

GATGO EXPO

Rock Hill Baptist Church Brownsboro (903) 852-6711 gatexpo.com

JULY 29

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Gulf Coast Banquet Knights of Columbus Hall Pearland (281) 245-9723 rmef.org

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION Kaufman County Banquet Fairfield by Marriott, Terrell (972) 965-0795 nwtf.org

AUGUST 3

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB DSC 100 Kickoff Party DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

DUCKS UNLIMITED Cibilo Creek Banqueet Schertz Civic Center (210) 332-7133 ducks.org

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THE CHIMNEY BOX OUTDOOR FIREPLACE

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