Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
July 22, 2022
Volume 18, Issue 23
Bass in the capital city When a covey rises and the hunters shoot, how many birds are hit and not recovered? New research seeks to find answers. Photo from Lone Star Outdoor News.
Quail crippling losses First of its kind research By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star Outdoor News How do you estimate crippling losses on bobwhite quail after a season’s worth of covey rises and hunters’ shots? You start by looking at what causes a quail to be successfully harvested and recovered. Dr. Abe Woodard, a range and wildlife scientist with East Foundation, is studying harvest mortality on bobwhite quail in South Texas, the location of hunting hotspots in recent years. The research team X-rayed and necropsied 30 bobwhites harvested during the 2021-2022 season and learned the average number of pellet wounds per harvested bobwhite was 3.6, with a range of 1 to 10. The average number of shotgun pellets within a harvested bobwhite was 1.4, indicating many pellets pass through the bird after impact. Where the pellets strike the bird was important, as expected. A total of 87 percent of the birds had impacts to the head, neck or spine. “Despite the sample size being small, this is still telling,” Woodard said.
Immanuel Barela loves living in Austin because of the urban fishing opportunities. On Lady Bird Lake, he caught this largemouth over a deep grass line. Photo by Michelle Cottingham.
By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News Austin represents a central hub for outdoorsmen and women. And premier bass fishing opportunities are available within the city’s limits. Lady Bird Lake and Lake Austin boast excellent fisheries, and their close proximity to
the city make it convenient for folks to wet a line at the drop of a hat. Immanuel Barela lives and works in Austin, and is an avid kayak fisherman. He said both Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake are just a short drive from his house, which makes it easy to get out on the water regularly.
“The best part about these lakes, aside from how convenient they are to access, is they offer anglers the opportunity to catch trophysized bass on any given day,” Barela said. “Just knowing I am minutes away from putting my kayak in the water and having the possibility of hooking up with a
double-digit bass is what I love most about these bodies of water.” The biggest hurdle anglers face on both lakes during the warm months of the year is the recreational crowd. “Lake Austin can get rough in a hurry from all of the boat traffic created by those that are wake-boarding, tub-
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ing and waterskiing,” Barela said. “On Lady Bird Lake, there’s always folks paddle boarding or simply paddling a kayak or canoe around. The fish don’t necessarily get a ton of pressure from anglers, but there is plenty of human disturbance taking place.” Barela said the key to catching quality bass on Please turn to page 17
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Piggy perch champs By Tony Vindell
While anglers were in the bay and offshore during the Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament, a young group of anglers battled for prizes for a much smaller species. The 33 anglers competed in the tournament’s Piggy Perch Fishing Tournament held July 16. Some of them shook their legs as their parents baited
the little hooks either with frozen shrimp or with squid. Others could not wait to see fish they caught as the red and white bobbers went underwater. A few of them had some difficulty when trying to grab a piggy for a picture or two. But in the end, there were plenty of smiles and laughs during the awards presentation. Wyatt Kraussman won in the 0-4 division in the single
and combined weight categories, while Parker Thompson and Michael Martinez grabbed second place in each category. Kraussman’s older brother, Tyler, finished at the top in the 5-8 division as Dilisa De Los Reyes and Isla Contreras both won second in the single and combined entry, respectively. Other top winners were Marco Garcia and Wyatt Birdsong in the 9-12 age Please turn to page 11
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 21 Datebook . . . . . . . . . Page 22
INSIDE
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Jimmy Kirkpatrick, 4, shows a piggy perch he brought in at the Piggy Perch Fishing Tournament in Port Mansfield. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
HUNTING
FISHING
Recovering after hit by train (P. 4)
Trout rebound (P. 8)
Guide goes on axis hunt.
Anglers happy, catching more.
Legend of Muy Grande dies (P. 4)
Making lures (P. 8)
Leonel Garza, the “Hunter’s Friend.”
Teen angler starts company.
