Lone Star Outdoor News 072420

Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas

July 24, 2020

Volume 16, Issue 23

Poults masking as adults

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News

Poults grow extremely fast and can be mistaken for hens after they are several weeks old. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

In our June 26 issue, Lone Star Outdoor News reported a good turkey hatch in most areas of the state, with some exceptions on ranches that received too much rain.

In July, readers started reporting they weren’t seeing the poults.

In the July 17 e-newsletter sent from Lone Star Outdoor News to around 18,000 people, we asked the question, “We reported a good hatch.

Now, readers are saying the

poults are gone. Have you noticed?”

Over the weekend, 43 responses came in, with 10 saying, “No, I have been consistently seeing poults,” and 33 saying, “Yes, I saw lots of poults earlier this summer.

Now I can’t find them.”

Jason Hardin, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s wild turkey program leader, said he hadn’t heard similar reports, but there may be a few possible explanations.

“I don’t know of anything that would have knocked the birds back to a significant Please turn to page 15

Turn up the bass

Anglers are using different methods to try to land summertime bass and other species. At the Mega Bass tournament at Lake Fork, a fluke in 20 feet of water brought in the biggest bass (see story on page 9), while at city lakes, which tend to be smaller and shallower, much of the structure is along the shoreline (see story on page 9). White bass pursuers are finding the fish early and sometimes on top, before the heat and boat traffic send them down (see story on page 8); and catfish chasers, at least on Lake Conroe, are chumming under bridges (see story on page 8). Photo by Joe Richards, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Coastal bay action sizzles

By Nate Skinner

Inshore fishing action continues to heat up right along with air temperatures. Whether they’ve been staying in the boat, or getting out of it to wade, anglers have been catching multiple species from Baffin Bay to Galveston Bay.

Canyon Lake area resident Sierra Stovall went on her first wade-fishing trip with her boyfriend, Brad Morrow, in Baffin Bay under the guidance of Capt. Preston Long. Stovall said she didn’t realize it was going to be a wade-fishing trip until the night before when Morrow told her. She was hesitant about getting out of the boat the next

morning, but she took to it rather quickly.

“It was an awesome trip,” Stovall said. “We caught our limit of trout, and I landed my first-ever slot redfish.”

The group spent the day chunking live croaker while wading knee- to chest-deep flats.

“We caught most of our fish Please turn to page 11

Katherine Salom landed a 29-inch redfish on a live shrimp while fishing along the Houston Ship Channel near Baytown. Photo by Cody Rogers.

Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10

HUNTING

FISHING

Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12

Protein push (P. 4)

Pontooning for cats (P. 8)

Deer hitting the feeders.

Anglers beat the heat under bridges.

Knowing plants (P. 4)

Summer trout with jigs (P. 8)

Videos help identify, rate the cover.

Favorite colors vary.

Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Saltwater Fishing Report . . . Page 19 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 22

INSIDE

CONTENTS

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

For Lone Star Outdoor News

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HUNTING

Deer hammering protein feeders

Deer have been regulars at the protein feeder in July, despite what appears to be good conditions in the pasture. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Low moisture content in soil to blame

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News The pastures are green and still look fairly lush in much of the state. Across the landscape, though, hunters are reporting

the same thing — they are refilling protein feeders consistently, and trail cameras confirm the deer are feeding heavily.

In other years, when conditions are good, the protein disappears much more slowly, leaving hunters wondering why it’s different this year.

Things are not quite as they appear, said Daniel Kunz, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department technical guidance biologist

in South Texas.

“Even though areas are still green, it’s burning up pretty quickly,” Kunz said.

“The forbs have dried up. There is still brush and stuff to browse on, but that’s drawing down, too.”

Kunz said it’s mostly a matter of soil moisture.

“When the soil moisture goes away, so does the quality of the forage,” he said.

“Most of South Texas is pretty dry, although areas along the coast, like Jim Hogg County, are doing better. We had a relatively dry spring, but caught up in May. But the heat over the last two weeks has really sucked all the moisture out of the forage.”

The Keetch-Byram Drought Index, maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, analyzes soil moisture content, primarily to assess wildfire risks.

Please turn to page 6

Heading to summer camp Some outdoor camps stay open

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News A set of 46 videos from Spring Creek Outdoors help with plant identification and information. Photos from Spring Creek Outdoors.

Videos help identify, recognize plants Value to wildlife, wildlife managers Lone Star Outdoor News After examining and collecting Texas plants from more than 400 ranches covering all regions, elevations

and soil types in the state, Spring Creek Outdoors has created its plant identification video series to help locate the best (and worst) plants on your ranch for wildlife.

“Most landowners, managers and hunters have a strong interest in learning Please turn to page 15

With many summer activities falling by the wayside, some summer camps for young hunters and fishermen went forward.

At Outdoor Texas Camps, an almost-full schedule of camps is winding down.

“We’ve had girls and boys Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Skills camps and girls and boys Bass Fishing and Fly-fishing camps,” said director Peter Velasco.

Saltwater fishing camps will complete the schedule.

“We have been full all summer long,” Velasco said. “We had six or seven pull out due to virus concerns, but we had a waiting list so it only took a few hours to fill those spots.”

The total number of campers this

summer is 162, and Velasco said modifications weren’t too difficult.

“We’re pretty isolated and we have no more than 24 kids at a time, with four to each cabin,” he said.

“Fortunately, we Ella True smiles after taking a rifle shot while attending one of the haven’t had any is- outdoor skills camps with Outdoor Texas Camps. Photo by Chase Phillips. sues.”

Changes were made when kids were dropped off they leave clean.”

Velasco said the fishing on Lake and picked up, and with food serBastrop has been the best ever. vice.

Campers fish with guides, coordi“We’re plating and serving the food,” Velasco said. “Our gathering nated by guide Charles Whited. Four place is large, so serving 660 meals boats with three campers each head per week could be done with plen- out twice each day.

“We caught close to 1,000 bass last ty of room. And the bathroom and week,” Velasco said. “And we found shower area was sprayed down four or five times a day. I have been con- the crappie, and a boy caught what fident if our campers come in clean, we think is the lake-record smallmouth buffalo at 28 pounds.”

Please turn to page 7

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July 24, 2020

Page 5

Jones, longtime quail supporter and hunter, dies Lone Star Outdoor News A.V. Jones Jr., of Albany, the 2013 recipient of the T. Boone Pickens Lifetime Sportsman Award and an ardent supporter of Park Cities Quail Coalition, died July 12 at the age of 88.

Jones was a founding member of the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation and served on its Board of Directors until his death. He quietly donated millions in support of quail and quail research.

“A.V. was one of the giants in the quail hunting world, and in my world,” said RPQRF Executive Director Dale Rollins. “I have often referred to him as the “Dean of Texas quail hunters,” and those who love quail hunting in Texas would certainly agree.

His impact on quail is immeasurable, and A.V. will always cast a tall shadow for those of us who enjoy quail hunting in Texas.”

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“It has become very apparent to me through the years that every employee at TPWD has a role in Photo from Clayton Wolf delivering our mission, and if we are to continue to do this effectively, we must connect all Texans with nature in some form or fashion,” Wolf said.

As COO, Wolf will work within the executive office, acting as a liaison between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission and TPWD staff in accordance with established policies. He also will be responsible for the overall operation of TPWD. Please turn to page 6

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July 24, 2020

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Buttercups over threatened tahr species

FIND. SIGHT. SHOOT.

New Zealand culling plans could destroy hunting

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News

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A battle over the fate of Himalayan tahr in the Southern Alps of New Zealand has hunting proponents and conservation officials, usually on the same page in the country, butting heads.

After culling more than 10,000 of the animals, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation developed a plan that would see some 7,500 animals culled over the next year, as well as eradicating all tahr from national parks.

Popular with both local and tourism- A controversial plan to remove thousands of Himalayan tahr based hunters, Himalayan tahr are na- from New Zealand’s southern Alps is being challenged. tive to the Himalayas, where they are Photo from New Zealand Tahr Foundation. now considered a near threatened species. They are admired for their ability to live high in the harshest mountain environments and for their shaggy winter coats. They were first introduced to New Zealand in 1904 and thrived.

The government claims the tahr are damaging fragile mountain plants like tussocks and the Mount Cook buttercup. DOC has estimated the population on public conservation land at more than 35,000 animals, more than three times the number of animals recommended by the Himalayan Tahr Control Plan ratified in 1993.

But the Tahr Foundation — a collective of farmers and hunters — pushed back against the plan, saying they weren’t consulted, and had concerns the plan could jeopardize the commercial tahr hunting industry.

The Tahr Foundation took the department to the High Court, which ruled the DOC could carry out about half of its culling plan, but will be required to further consult with the hunting community and other stakeholders to ensure tahr are managed and not eradicated.

Recent projections indicate that the economic activity generated from tourism-related tahr hunting is at $100 million annually.

“Make no mistake, this proposed control work is eradication in disguise,” the foundation said. “It will kill the tahr hunting resource as we know it.”

The foundation asserted there is no conservation imperative for the culling, noting that 15,000 tahr have been shot over the last two years and that the Himalayan Tahr Control Plan of 1993, by its terms intended to be reviewed after five years, is outdated and should be reviewed, with a sound management system put in place that protects the fauna, the tahr and the hunting industry.

“Our tahr herd has been here 116 years,” the foundation said. “When does an animal that has lived here for over 115 years, be allowed to call New Zealand home?”

Feeding frenzy Continued from page 4

“It’s the best index for looking at the amount of moisture in the soil,” Kunz said.

The index measures moisture deficiencies in upper soil layers, using terms like litter (recognizable plant parts like leaves and flowers) and duff (partially to fully decomposed organic material).

Scores are established across the country, with 0-200 meaning wet, like a typical spring; 200-400 representing dying lower litter and duff layers that can contribute to fire intensity; 400-600 where lower litter and duff layers actively contribute to fire intensity; and 600-800 representing severe drought.

As of July 15, much of South Texas, West Texas and the Panhandle score in the 400s and 500s, with pockets in the 600s. Northeast Texas scores the lowest, with many areas in the 300s.

“Vegetation is rapidly losing moisture due to consecutive days of extremely high temperatures,” said Brad Smith, Texas A&M Forest Service Predictive Services Department Head.

“Grass that was green five days ago has wilted and turned brown under the accelerated drying produced from the extreme heat. It will be quite difficult to replenish this lost moisture during the normally dry months of July and August. Much of Texas is primed for wildfires right now.”

Kunz said the still-green appearance on the landscape show things aren’t always as they seem.

“We could use some good rains in most of the state,” he said.

Promotion at TPWD Continued from page 5

Wolf grew up in Rockdale, but his lifelong love of the Texas outdoors was cultivated on family land in Lee County that his great-grandparents settled after immigrating from Germany in the late 1800s. Wolf attended Stephen F. Austin University for his bachelor’s degree and Texas A&M University for his master’s degree. Prior to beginning his career with TPWD, Wolf worked as a private sector wildlife biologist in the Pineywoods of Southeast Texas.

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Camps attracting kids Continued from page 4

July 24, 2020

Page 7

AG UA V I DA R A NC H

SUMMER HUNTS

Blake Goodrow landed a bass from the Llano River while attending the Christian Outdoor Alliance camp. Photo

by Michael Marbach.

The Christian Outdoor Alliance camps also have been full all summer.

“We have 23 boys in camp right now,” said founder Michael Marbach. “We’re full at 25 but two had been around people with COVID.” The camps combine hunting and fishing with bible studies and spiritual growth.

“We start with a girl’s camp and then have four boy’s camps,” Marbach said.

At the camps, located on the Llano River in Telegraph, campers swim and fish on the river daily, have their studies during the heat of the day, and hunt in the evening.

“They didn’t have these type of camps when I was a kid,” Marbach said. “That’s why I started this one.”

Modifications were made to deal with the times.

“My wife is a registered nurse, and we take the temperature of the kids every day,” Marbach said. “When the kids were dropped off, we had a tent out front. And the food isn’t cafeteria-style anymore. We make the plates, let the kids in two or three at a time, and they eat outside.

“I think I’m going to continue that, there’s a lot less waste.”

Hunting provided the biggest challenge, with a guide and two kids heading to the blind each evening.

“Distancing is hard there, but we try,” Marbach said.

The Texas Brigades camps canceled this summer, but the organization took an alternative approach by preparing weekly videos for each of the camps, along with other materials to keep youngsters in tune with conservation efforts.

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Page 8

July 24, 2020

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FISHING

Comfortable catfishing on Lake Conroe Odom Wu shows his fly-fishing waterbody record Rio Grande cichlid from the San Antonio River. The fish measured over 10 inches. Photo from Odom Wu.

Catching cichlids, on purpose

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Many anglers on Hill Country rivers, streams and creeks have unintentionally caught a Rio Grande cichlid or two at one time or another.

The species has earned less attention than others such as bass, rainbow trout and sunfish. But some folks in the fly-fishing community put cichlids ahead of other fish in terms of their desire to pursue them, especially during the summer months. Chris Johnson and Odom Wu are two anglers who take pride in catching numbers of Rios on purpose.

The Rio Grande cichlid is native to Texas, and the species’ original, historical distribution was limited to the lower reaches of the Rio Grande.

Over time, populations have been introduced in parts of Central Texas and the Hill Country.

Now, Rios are thriving in many relatively warm bodies of water across the state.

Johnson owns and operates Living Waters Fly Fishing Shop in Round Rock, and he also guides fly-fishing trips in the area. He spends the majority of his time targeting cichlids along Brushy Creek.

“A few years ago, I made a commitment to really focus on pursuing Rio Grande cichlids, and I haven’t looked back since,” Johnson said. “I learned to change my tactics in order to draw more strikes from them, and it has ultimately made me a better angler.”

Johnson has caught many Rio Grande cichlids over the past few weeks, including some pushing the 11-inch mark in length. None of them came to his hands easily.

“Cichlids can be quite stubborn and finicky,” he said. “I tried sight-casting to a large one the other day for half an hour, and he only looked at my fly one time. They are extremely picky.”

As far as tactics go, Johnson said to really be successful at catching cichlids, anglers are going to have to be willing to fish with subsurface flies.

“The fish like to hang near the bottom, and that’s where the best strikes will occur,” he explained. “I primarily use a lot of small nymphs, including one that I tie called the Rio Bandito, in various colors. Most of the time, they prefer a slow retrieve in which the fly is crawling along the bottom, right in front of their face. Their strike zone is extremely small. If you can make the fly wiggle without moving it too far away from them, you’ll get a lot of bites.”

Johnson said an angler’s eyes are their best friend when it comes to chasing Rios.

“The fish can change colors, and if you know what you’re looking for, you can typically find some,” he said. “They tend to have a whitishlooking forehead, especially when they are fired up and are about to eat a fly.”

According to Johnson, the Llano River near Junction holds good numbers of cichlids, along with the Frio River, the San Gabriel River and almost every major river in the Hill Country.

Wu holds the waterbody record for Rio Grande cichlids caught on a fly rod on both the San Antonio and Blanco rivers. Both fish stretched Please turn to page 20

Guide Darrell Taylor takes groups of fishermen, often families, to the shade of a highway bridge and chums for catfish during the hot summer fishing months. Photo by David Sweet, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News Nearly 30 fishing guides target catfish on Lake Conroe, and for good reason — the reservoir is loaded with channel and blue catfish. According to long-time guide Darrell Taylor, the fishing over baited holes on the lake is tough to beat anywhere in Texas.

“I’m 72 years old, and I started catching catfish when I was 12 years old,” said Taylor. “My daddy was a welder and pipefitter. When he had a day off, we went to

area lakes and rivers to find catfish.”

Taylor has been running guide trips on Conroe for 39 years.

“It’s some of the best catfishing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s easy fishing, and with the way things are, I’ve got more trips than I can handle. And a whole lot of them are with families and kids that like to catch catfish.”

Taylor said from now through the end of September he’ll be fishing under the 1097 bridge for two reasons.

One is that it allows him

to put his customers in the shade, where it’s substantially cooler than baking in the sun. And second, it’s like a super highway for numbers of channel catfish, with a good number of blues mixed in.

“There will be boats under that bridge day and night throughout the summer months, and all of them are chumming, which is the big draw for so many catfish,” Taylor said. “If you’re not chumming under that bridge, you are wasting your time.”

The chumming part is sim-

ple. It all starts with Super Creep pellets, normally used to feed cattle. Taylor throws in a handful of the pellets in front of each person on the boat. It dissolves in about 15 minutes, and that’s when the bite is on.

“I normally fish in about 20 feet of water,” he said.

“That’s a good depth to find catfish throughout the summer months. I use a punch bait called Catfish Killer Cheese Bait. My daddy developed it, and I’ve been making it for years. It’s a pain to make, and after awhile people started wanting more Please turn to page 17

Jigs lead the way to hooking summer trout

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star Outdoor News Soft plastic jigs are a popular choice along the entire Texas coast during the summer months, when it comes to catching speckled trout.

But one big factor is what color works best on any given day.

For an example of what colors are best in the world of soft plastics, take a look at any tackle store shelf, with their wide variety of colors.

But the pegs on the wall that are almost empty are usually a good sign which colors are the most popular at that time.

On the Lower Laguna Madre, guide Ruby Delgado said about this time of sum-

mer she’s dealing with a lot of windy days with lots of grass on the water’s surface. Plus, the water is gin clear and anywhere from 2 to 4-feet deep.

“I can deal with the wind, but with so much floating grass I move around a lot,” Delgado said. “The idea is to fish soft plastics in areas that aren’t holding too much grass. Right now, we’re catching lots of 14 to 15-inch trout, with a few 18-inchers, and on a good day we’ll catch trout up to about 22 inches. A lot of the time I’ll be fishing with a 4-inch D.O.A. jerk bait. If not that, I’ll be fishing something like a D.O.A. shad. I’ll fish both on a 1/8-ounce jig head that’s either black or gray. Two of my best colors Please turn to page 19

Coastal anglers use jigs and soft plastics all summer, but the color that works best constantly changes. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Ellis tops Mega Bass on Fork Lone Star Outdoor News Tommy Ellis, of Athens, Louisiana, beat a record field of more than 1,800 anglers at the Mega Bass on Lake Fork with his 10.49-pound largemouth.

The 49-year-old caught the fish in the event’s fifth hour.

“I fish the tournaments on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend, but I hadn’t fished Fork in four or five years,” Ellis said. “This was my first time at the Mega Bass.”

Fishing with his buddy, Ellis said they were sitting above about 12 feet of water and casting to a 20-foot depth.

“I was using a watermelon/gold glitter fluke,” Ellis said. “I was on the phone with another friend who was fishing when the fish knocked the fool out if it. I threw the phone down and hollered for my buddy to get the net. It took three tries to get him in the net, he was so big.”

Ellis said a few years ago, he thought his fishing days were over.

“My heart went into defib and I dropped dead,” he said. “My wife is a nurse and started CPR until the ambulance got there. They brought me back. I wondered how my heart would react if I ever caught one of those big fish, but it all worked out. The boat ride wasn’t so great, though, my buddy was in a hurry to get to the scale.”

For the fish, Ellis won a new Skeeter ZX 200 with a Yamaha 200 SHO outboard, plus $15,000 in cash for his hourly win.

Other hourly $15,000 winners: Jerry Dean II, of Wylie, 10.02 pounds Steve Trimble, of Duncanville, 9.1 pounds Joshua Pearce, of Murchison, 8.98 pounds Brad Rogers, of Yantis, 8.63 pounds

July 24, 2020

Page 9

Hot bites in the city Vary approach on urban lakes

By Carter Mize

For Lone Star Outdoor News

Tommy Ellis landed this 10.49-pound largemouth to win a new boat plus $15,000. Photo by Bass Champs.

Billy Gilbert, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, 8.73 pounds Tim Wilcoxson, of Rockwall, 8.37 pounds Three additional fish topping 8 pounds were landed, but the anglers didn’t finish at the top of the hourly weigh-in.

Darrell Dodd, of Como, 9.81 pounds; Danny Kraatz, of Azle, 8.35 pounds; and Anthony Jones, of Willis, 8.32 pounds, caught the fish. Each angler won $1,000.

Ellis said he’s ready to return to Lake Fork.

“I’ll be back in September,” he said. “But I’ll be in a new boat.”

Texas is known for it legendary lakes for big bass, but there also are hidden gems in often-overlooked urban areas. While city lakes can garner a lesser reputation among fishermen for decreased boat access or providing no bites, anglers do find success in the city with a little patience and the right strategy.

White Rock Lake, in East Dallas, has a reputation for recreational boating from rowing teams to sailboats, but not as much for fishing. Anglers at White Rock have trouble lo- Grant Braudrick landed this bass on White Rock Lake in the heart of Dallas. cating good structure Photo from Grant Braudrick. from the bank, and boating presents a challenge due to regulated motor size limits that leave many to only a trolling motor.

Local angler Grant Braudrick said the lake may confound visitors looking for a big bite, but has an underlying environment ripe for healthy fish.

“White Rock has a creek system that runs uninterrupted pretty much all the way to Little Elm, so it runs about probably 30 miles or so,” Braudrick said. “That’s a great feature. There are lots of batifish that are able to get up inside that creek and spawn and then go back into the main lake and live. White Rock has a lot of baitfish.”

Like other city lakes, most of White Rock is shallow, lacking deepwater structure.

Most structure at White Rock lies around the shoreline, but people fishing on the bank tend to throw out away from the shore. Braudrick suggests they reign it in and work strike zones parallel to the bank.

“There’s a lot of structure on the bank — there are downed trees, reeds, rockpiles and Please turn to page 17

School is open for white bass

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star Outdoor News Anglers are catching white bass using a variety of tactics along inland lakes in the central, eastern, and northern regions of the Lone Star State. Vertically jigging slabs, trolling umbrella rigs and walking top-water plugs across the surface are all producing strikes when used in the right place at the right time.

Lake Livingston angler Kevin Burke has been chasing sandies with his dad, Keith. He said the white bass bite has been somewhat spotty. Burke claims the fish aren’t too hard to find, but that they just aren’t always easy to catch.

“We’ve been covering a lot of water to catch fish,” Burke said.

“Main lake humps, roadbeds, and drop-offs close to the main river Slabs and pet spoons are bringing in white bass schooling below channel are all holding white the surface. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News. bass.” to 10 minutes, it’s worth moving and findBurke said the biggest key to staying hooked up with the whites has ing a new school.”

Jigging 1/2 to 1-ounce white, chartreuse, been timing.

“Boat traffic has seemed to be affecting and silver slabs in 9-20 feet of water has the bite later in the day,” he said. “The been Burke’s go-to method.

“We are catching plenty of white bass in most exciting action has been occurring early in the morning. There’s a lot of the 12-inch range, and there’s occasionschools actively feeding at sunrise. If you ally been some hybrid stripers mixed in as come across one on the surface, the fish well,” he said.

At Stillhouse Hollow lake, guide Bob will usually hammer just about anything Maindelle has been finding plenty of white you throw at them.”

Burke has been relying on sonar to find bass, mostly by trolling and covering water.

“The bite has been starting early in the fish during the midmorning and midday morning at sunup, and going strong until hours.

“There are schools everywhere, you just about 8:30 a.m. or so,” he said. “The achave to find one that has aggressive fish tion has been slowing steadily after that, in it,” he explained. “If you come across a and most days, we have been off the water school and you don’t get a strike within 5 before 11 a.m.”

Please turn to page 11

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July 24, 2020

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 83 degrees; 0.04’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged worms, topwaters and crankbaits. Crappie are good suspended over brush or in the shade on minnows.

Catfish are fair on live bait, cut bait and stink bait.

AMISTAD: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 45.96’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits and Carolina-rigged worms.

Catfish are fair on stink bait and cut bait.

ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.05’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, diving crankbaits, and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

ATHENS: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.75’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, spinner baits and root beer plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits.

AUSTIN: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.73’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Sunfish are good on cutworms. Catfish are good on prepared baits and cut bait.

BASTROP: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina-rigged plastic worms, shad-colored crankbaits and jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows on brush piles and in standing timber. Channel and blue catfish are good on earthworms, cut bait and live bait.

BELTON: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on skirted jigs, crankbaits and Carolina-rigged plastic worms.

White bass are good on slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are good on prepared baits and live bait.

BENBROOK: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, crankbaits and drop shots. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are excellent on slabs and jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and live baits.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.19’ high. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, chatterbaits and plum or rootbeer-colored plastic worms.

Crappie are good on minnows in brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are good on cut bait, live bait and chicken livers.

BRAUNIG: Water lightly stained; 84-85 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits and plastic worms. Red drum are good on tilapia. Striped bass are slow.

Catfish are good on live bait, cut bait and cheese bait.

BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 2.49’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits, jigs and Carolina-rigged plastic worms. White bass are good

on jigs. Catfish are good on prepared baits and live bait.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees; 0.67’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastic worms, chatterbaits and deep-diving crankbaits. Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

Channel catfish are good on cut bait.

CADDO: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 1.41’ high. Largemouth bass are good on plastic creatures and frogs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on jigs and slabs.

Catfish are good on prepared baits and live bait.

CALAVERAS: Water stained; 83-86 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and crankbaits along the riprap. Red drum are good on live bait. Catfish are good on stink bait, chicken livers and cut shad.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 83-88 degrees; 1.49’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, skirted jigs and pumpkin and root beer plastic worms. Striped bass are good vertically jigging slabs and live bait. White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.19’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-water plugs, drop shots and crankbaits. Hybrids and sand bass are good on slabs, swimbaits and rooster tails.

Crappie are excellent on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait.

CHOKE CANYON: Water lightly stained; 84-86 degrees; 19.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, jigs, and soft plastic worms.

Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on dough balls, live bait and cheese bait.

CONROE: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.55’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastic worms and live shad.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striped bass are fair trolling swimbaits and live bait. Catfish are good on cut bait.

COOPER: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.37’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits and jigs.

White bass are excellent on slabs, swimbaits and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.

CORPUS CHRISTI LAKE: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 5.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair early on top-waters and crankbaits. White bass are fair on spoons and small spinner baits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water

stained; 85 degrees; 0.24’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and crankbaits.

White bass are excellent on slabs. Crappie are good on.

Catfish are good on fresh cut bait and punch bait.

FALCON: Water lightly stained; 85-87 degrees; 39.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair over brush piles on Texas rigs, jigs, deep crankbaits and Carolina-rigged worms. Catfish are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on purple plastic worms, drop shots and crankbaits. Sunfish are good on worms and crickets. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

FORK: Water lightly stained; 83-85 degrees; 0.29’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on blue, purple and dark green plastic worms, bladed jigs and chatterbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and live bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, plastic worms and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on live bait.

GRANBURY: Water clear; 83-87 degrees; 0.04’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are good on earthworms, cut bait or live bait.

GRAPEVINE: Water lightly stained; 84-86 degrees; 1.86’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, blue and dark green plastic worms and crankbaits.

White bass are excellent on slabs and swimbaits. Crappie are good on minnows, shad-colored small crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on prepared baits and cut bait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water lightly stained; 88-90 degrees; 0.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on purple and watermelon seed worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows.

Catfish are good at night on hot dogs and on juglines on perch and shad.

JOE POOL: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.14’ high. Largemouth bass are good on stick worms, jigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good beneath bridges and structure on minnows. Catfish are good on fresh cut bait and prepared baits.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.68’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, plastic grubs and Texas-rigged worms.

Crappie are excellent on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, chicken liver and cut bait.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, dark plastic worms and swimbaits. Crappie are excellent on minnows

and jigs over brush piles and submerged timber. White bass are good on jigs, spoons and slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.

LBJ: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.58’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows.

White bass are good over main lake points and humps on slabs and swimbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared baits.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.2’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are excellent on slabs and small crankbaits.

Crappie are good on minnows around brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.72’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and spinner baits.

Crappie are good on jigs.

White bass are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on live bait and stink bait.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 81 degrees; 48.49’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair in deep water on plastic worms.

Walleye are good off steepdropping rock points on worms and minnows. Channel catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait.

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 81 degrees; 0.64’ high. Largemouth bass are good on buzzbaits, Jigs, worms and top-water frogs. Crappie are good in the timber on minnows. Catfish are fair in coves on live, blood and prepared baits.

NACONICHE: Water slightly stained; 83 degrees. Largemouth bass are good early and late on worms and jigs.

Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on dough balls, cut and live bait.

NASWORTHY: Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.83’ low.

Largemouth bass are very good on worms, spinner baits and crankbait. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are fair on live and prepared baits.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 85 degrees; 4.67’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs, and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are good on prepared baits and live bait.

White bass are good on slabs and swimbaits.

O.H. IVIE: Water clear; 81 degrees; 10.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to slow on crankbaits, jigs and worms.

Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are good on stinkbait, live and cut bait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.65’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on dark green or black Texas-rigged worms, swimbaits and deep-running crankbaits.

Crappie are good on jigs and

minnows around bridges and timber. White bass are good on small swimbaits and slabs.

Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.20’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastic worms, crankbanks and minnows.

White bass are good on small crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

PROCTOR: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 1.59’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina-rigged worms and jerkbaits. Hybrid stripers are good on live bait and slabs.

Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on prepared baits, chicken liver and cut bait.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, skirted jigs and Texas-rigged plastic worms in timber. White bass are good on tiny torpedoes, small tail spinners, slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are good near bridges, brush piles and submerged trees on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on baited holes.

RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are good on blue and dark green plastic worms, crankbaits and chatterbaits. White bass are excellent on slabs and jigging spoons. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 84-87 degrees; 0.58’ high. Largemouth bass are good on chatterbaits, Texas-rigged plastic worms and spoons. White bass and hybrids are good on swim jigs and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows on bridge pilings and in brush piles. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 82 degrees; 1.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, plastic worms and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live bait and stink bait.

SQUAW CREEK: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.43’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms and jigs.

Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are excellent on prepared baits, earthworms and cut bait.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water clear; 85 degrees; 0.58’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 84-87 degrees; 0.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, dark blue or black plastic worms and

n Saltwater reports Page 19 crankbaits. White bass and hybrid stripers are excellent on live bait and slab spoons.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are excellent on prepared baits and cut bait.

TEXANA: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.20’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on jigs.

Catfish are good on stink bait, cut bait and live bait.

TEXOMA: Water lightly stained; 82-86 degrees; 1.87’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spoons, plastic worms and crankbaits. Striped and white bass are good on live bait and top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are good on cut bait, prepared baits and live bait.

TOLEDO BEND: Water slightly stained; 83 degrees; 0.48’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on small top-waters and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stink bait.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 81-86 degrees; 12.50’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged red plastic worms, drop shots and crankbaits.

White bass are good on swim jigs, crankbaits and slabs.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

Catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

WACO: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.18’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, crankbaits and drop shots. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

WHITNEY: Water clear; 82-87 degrees; 0.67’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on blue plastic worms, shad crankbaits and spinner baits.

White bass are excellent on jigging spoons and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 2.71’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, spinner baits and Carolina-rigged plastic creatures. White bass are good on jigging spoons and slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are excellent on cut bait, live bait and earthworms.

­—TPWD

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

Wading, fishing the channels Continued from page 1

in waist- to chest-deep water,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot of activity taking place up shallow.”

The best action Stovall and Morrow experienced occurred during the midmorning hours. They caught several undersized specks in addition to the five each that they kept in the 15 to 20-inch range.

“The most memorable part of the trip was catching that redfish,” Stovall said. “We had just gotten out of the boat at one of our last stops when the fish hit my bait like a freight train. It turned out to have a heart shaped spot on its tail. Fighting and landing that red is an experience I’ll never forget.”

In Port O’Connor, recreational angler Brian Felix has been wade-fishing Sierra Stovall brought in her first slot red, with a heartnear Pass Cavallo in waist-deep water shaped spot, that she caught on her first wade-fishing recently to catch decent-sized speckled trip with her boyfriend. Photo by Capt. Preston Long. trout. His largest trout as of late measured about 23 inches.

“Most of the fish have been holding tight to grass beds,” Felix said. “The action is impressive on an incoming tide around the pass, and there have been swarms of baitfish everywhere. Soft plastic jigs produced the best results.”

Katherine Salom and her boyfriend, Cody Rogers, have been fishing along the Houston Ship Channel near Baytown, where they’ve been landing a variety of species using live shrimp rigged under a popping cork.

“We’ve basically been targeting any species that has been willing to bite,” Salom said. “Most of our success has occurred in shallow water over rocks and rip-rap along the edge of the channel.”

Salom said they have been catching sheepshead, black drum, flounder, croaker and redfish. One of her most impressive catches lately was a 29-inch redfish.

“When low tide has occurred during the early morning hours, the action has been nonstop,” she said.

On Galveston Bay, Capt. Tim Young said bull reds have been schooling over shell pads out off the ship channel in the middle portion of the estuary.

“Slicks, mud boils, and bait getting busted along the surface are all telltale signs that a school of reds is nearby,” he said. “Soft plastic jigs, top-water baits and crankbaits have all produced big results.”

July 24, 2020

Page 11

Finding sandies Continued from page 9

Downriggers are part of Maindelle’s approach.

“Using downriggers equipped with three-arm umbrella rigs rigged with pet spoons has been pretty effective while trolling,” he said. “Vertical jigging has been producing a few fish, but nothing like what we are catching on the umbrella rigs. Top-water action has been consistent on days with heavy cloud cover.”

Dallas guide Carey Thorn has been pursuing white bass on Lavon Lake where he said most of the surface action has ceased.

“Most of the large concentrations of fish are holding along points in 13 to 15 feet of water, roaming and chasing shad,” he said. “They are also holding tight to underwater trees.”

Thorn said the fish that are holding in the timber are hanging out between points.

“The larger white bass measuring 13 inches or more are moving over main lake points in about 15 to 18 feet of water after the sun rises at about 8:30 a.m,” he said. “Paddle tail swimbaits have been the key to catching these bigger fish.”

Thorn also has been using a double rig composed of a 1-ounce white slab with a jig tied 18 inches above it.

“Anywhere that you can find a main lake point with 12-18 feet of water, you’re probably going to catch them,” he said. “We’ve got a ton of 11-inch fish right now.”

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2/17/20 3:37 PM

Lone Star Outdoor News At the 2020 ICAST show, usually held in Orlando, Florida, outdoor retailers and manufacturers held the fishing industry’s largest trade show virtually. The annual New Product Showcase went on, however, with voters (buyers and media) relying on press releases and videos rather than seeing, touching or feeling the new offerings.

Ken Duke, the editor of Fishing Tackle Retailer, which sponsored the contest, said it was still more than a popularity contest.

“Buyers vote for stuff they can sell, products that are most likely to actually work and be purchased again and again,” he said.

Best in Show: Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Old Town Sportsman Autopilot Category winners: • Best Boating Accessory – Minn Kota Raptor Shallow Water Anchor • Best Boats and Watercraft – Old Town Sportsman Autopilot • Best Giftware – Garmin Quatix 6X Solar Watch • Best Footwear – Under Armour UA Micro G Kilchis • Best Eyewear – Costa Del Mar Ferg • Best Lifestyle Apparel for Women – Simms Fishing Products Women’s Challenger Jacket and Bib • Best Lifestyle Apparel for Men – AFTCO Saba Recycled Seam Free Boardshorts • Best Warm Weather Technical Apparel – AFTCO Diffuse Air-O Mesh Fishing Shorts • Best Cold Weather Technical Apparel – AFTCO Reaper Windproof 3-Layer Softshell Jacket • Best Soft & Hard Cooler -YETI Roadie 24 • Best Electronics – Humminbird Coastmaster Charts • Best Cutlery, Hand Pliers or Tools – Line Cutters Dual Hybrid Micro Scissor • Best Fly Fishing Accessory – Frabill Floating Trout Net • Best Fishing Accessory – American Tackle Company Tsuka Handle System • Best Kid’s Tackle – Abu Garcia Gen Ike EZ Cast Baitcast Combo • Best Terminal Tackle – VMC Crossover Rings • Best Tackle Management – Plano Synergy EDGE Flex • Best Ice Fishing – Rapala Strike Master Lithium 24V • Best Fishing Line – Berkley Fluoroshield • Best Freshwater Soft Lure – A Band of Anglers Hyperlastics Dartprop Pro SK • Best Freshwater Hard Lure – Z-Man Chatterbait Jackhammer Stealthblade • Best Saltwater Soft Lure – 13 Fishing The Mullet • Best Saltwater Hard Lure – Shimano SP-Orca 150 Flash Boost Blue Sardine • Best Fly Fishing Rod – Hardy Zane Pro • Best Freshwater Rod – St. Croix Rods Legend Xtreme Spinning • Best Saltwater Rod – St. Croix Rods Mojo Inshore • Best Rod and Reel Combo – Abu Garcia Virtual Casting Combo • Best Fly Reel – Hardy Ultra Disc UDLA Reel • Best Freshwater Reel – Shimano Vanford 2500 Spinning Reel • Best Saltwater Reel – PENN Battle III

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July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER LOST HIKER RECOVERED In Big Bend Ranch State Park, a state park officer and game warden observed a car parked in the Closed Canyon Trail parking lot after closed park hours. In the car, the officers saw a park pass, a car rental agreement, a jug of water and snacks. The driver was nowhere to be found. The Closed Canyon Trail is short and terminates at the Rio Grande River. The officers hiked down the trail in the dark, as far as safely possible, and called out for anyone still there. No response was heard. A report was made about the possible lost hiker early the next day. Officers arrived at the trail head at 3:30 p.m. with rappelling equipment to search farther down the trail. Upon reaching the first of three steep pour-offs, the hiker responded to calls. An officer rappelled down to the hiker who had descended all the pour-offs and was at the riverbank. The hiker was dehydrated, exhausted and had injured his ankle. A helicopter for extraction was unavailable until the next morning. The officers assisted the hiker to climb back up the pour-offs, where EMS provided medical care and took the hiker to the hospital. The hiker said he had gone down the trail by himself, went down into a deep-water hole, was not able to climb out, and panicked.

He decided to keep going down the trail believing it would come back out to the parking lot. Temperatures that day were around 106 degrees and he drank river water to try to keep hydrated. He hiked along the riverbank but was unable to navigate the canyon walls.

MAN DIES AFTER BEING THROWN FROM BOAT After receiving a call regarding a boat accident on Richland Chambers Reservoir, a Navarro County game warden responded and learned that as a father and son traveled across the lake, their boat hit another boat’s wake and the father went over the bow. The boat passed over him. The son un-

FISH RELEASED AFTER GILL NET FOUND On the Rio Grande River, Val Verde County game wardens discovered one illegal gill net of approximately 150 feet along the Texas bank. The net was seized, and all fish were released.

SNEAKING ON TO FISH At Luminant Mining property on Lake Monticello, a Titus County game warden responded to a trespassing call. Four males were located trespassing and two were fishing on Lake Monticello without a license. Citations were issued for criminal trespass and fishing without a license.

STOLEN VEHICLE SUNK AT BOAT RAMP A vehicle was under water at a boat ramp at the White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area. A Titus County game warden responded, and the vehicle was removed from the creek. The vehicle had been stolen out of Mount Pleasant a week before. The vehicle was trans-

successfully attempted to retrieve his father from the water and a personal watercraft operator came to his aid. Wardens, with the TPWD Dive Team, were able to recover the body the following day in approximately 50 feet of water.

ferred to the Titus County Sheriff’s Department.

HIDING THE STUFF IN HIS UNDERWEAR While patrolling the late-night hours along the Sabine River, Gregg County game wardens observed two individuals fishing near the public boat ramp. As the wardens made contact, one of the subjects grew visibly irritated and evasive in his movements and responses. Fictitious information was offered, and Gladewater officers arrived to assist.

Concealed drug paraphernalia was later found in the subject’s underwear. It was discovered the subject was evading a felony parole warrant for injury to a child. The subject was released to another agency and transported to the Gregg County jail.

NOT DEAD, JUST ASLEEP A report came in of a deceased individual in a boat that was adrift on Lake Palestine. Henderson County game wardens responded and discovered the male occupant was

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sleeping, and the boat was stolen the previous evening. The male subject was placed under arrest and transported to the Henderson County Jail for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

WARDEN TRACKS TRUCK THROUGH FOUR RANCHES A Frio County game warden assisted Border Patrol in tracking and finding a stolen truck that was carrying undocumented aliens. The warden tracked the truck through four ranches until it was found abandoned near the Frio River. The truck was so far into the ranch and brush that it took eight hours to retrieve.

THE TATTOOS GAVE HIM AWAY Liberty County game wardens completed an investigation into a report of hunting without landowner consent that began in February. A hunting lease member contacted the wardens regarding a picture of a male subject he captured on his game camera. The picture was clear enough to see distinctive tattoos.

After a few weeks of talking to

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SELLING GATOR TAILS A Jefferson County man was selling multiple alligator tails without the required retail alligator dealer permit. The game wardens’ investigation revealed the man was obtaining the tails from a lawful source, but he was not able to resell them legally.

HIDING STRINGER IN MIDDLE OF RIVER A caller reported a fisherman on the Blanco River keeping undersized bass. A Blanco County game warded responded and contacted the fisherman. The subject did not have a valid fishing license and said he had not caught anything. With the help of the caller and her son, a stringer of undersized bass was found in the middle of the river in waist-deep water. The stringer was secured to a rock in the river.

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residents in the area, the wardens identified a possible suspect. They ran the suspect’s name through the Liberty County Sheriff Department to check for priors and discovered pictures of the subject’s tattoos on record. The wardens obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect. When arrested, the suspect admitted to the hunting violation.

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Page 13

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July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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HEROES

Jaime Quiroga, of Santa Rosa, landed this 27-inch redfish while drifting the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre while avoiding rainstorms.

Cousins Mason Boatman and Chase Spellman caught a “Texas Slam” of flounder, trout and redfish at their Uncle Blake’s house in Jamaica Beach.

Rad Dullnig harvested his first deer.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

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

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

Barry Browning, of Fort Worth, caught this 20 1/4-inch Spanish mackerel on live shrimp at the 61st Pier in Galveston.

Brooks Saathoff caught this 26 3/4-inch redfish on his 6th birthday in Port Bay on dead shrimp.

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

July 24, 2020

Page 15

Full-size poults Continued from page 1

level,” he said. “We had an early hatch this spring, so some of the poults are threefourths grown by now. What people think looks like a group of hens may include poults.”

Hardin said he received photo from Chuck Ribelin in Stonewall County showing a hen with two poults.

“There was not as much survival on the second, later hatch,” Hardin said. “But Ribelin said most of the baby turkeys from the early hatch look like adults.”

Hardin said some hens are still trying.

“I had two calls last week of people knocking hens off the nest in East Texas,” he said.

Hardin said once poults get past 2 1/2 weeks of age, their survival rate skyrockets.

“Before that, they are vulnerable,” he said. “But past 2 1/2 weeks, they have a great chance of survival. And after that, they start looking like adults.”

—TPWD

From TPWD

Help with plants for deer Continued from page 4

about plants, but most have a hard time identifying most of them,” said president and wildlife biologist Macy Ledbetter.

Currently numbering 46 videos of the most common plants found around Texas, the creators expect more plants to be added.

Each video lasts from two to four minutes, and explains how to identify the plants, the value of the plant to deer, dove, turkey and quail, the protein content, and tips on how to promote or control the plant.

Multiple photos show not only the flower or fruit, but the size, shape and growth form of the plant, including the bark, trunk and stem. Also, both distant and close-up images will help the viewer find what he/ she is looking for.

“We tried to show all identifying characteristics,” said wildlife biologist Matt Nuernberg.

The videos rate plants using the Browse Preference Classification list, which Ledbetter helped create while a biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The videos share what plants are Number 1 choices, being the most highly selected by wildlife; Number 2 choices, chosen by deer when the top plants aren’t available; and Number 3 choices, meaning the plants not consumed except in extreme conditions.

“We want people to be able to identify the poor plants from the goods one, and the good ones from the great ones,” Ledbetter said.

The videos may be seen at springcreekoutdoors.com or on the company’s YouTube page.

BUILT RIGHT

the fIRST TIME to LASt A

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Page 16

July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases

First

Full

Last

New

July 27

Aug 3

Aug 11

Aug 18

Solunar Sun times Moon times

Houston

Dallas

2020 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jul/Aug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2020 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jul/Aug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 01 Sat 02 Sun 03 Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thu 07 Fri

24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu

9:35 10:31 11:25 ----12:42 1:30 2:20

31 Fri

3:10 9:24

01 Sat 02 Sun 03 Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thu 07 Fri

4:01 4:54 5:46 6:38 7:29 8:19 9:06

9:29 3:17 10:26 4:13 11:20 5:07 ----- 5:59 12:36 6:49 1:25 7:38 2:14 8:28 3:04 9:18 3:56 10:10 4:48 11:02 5:40 11:53 6:32 12:20 7:23 1:12 8:13 2:02 9:01 2:50

9:55 3:42 10:51 4:38 11:44 5:32 12:12 6:24 1:02 7:15 1:52 8:06 2:42 8:56 3:33 9:47 4:24 10:38 5:15 11:29 6:07 ----6:57 12:45 7:46 1:35 8:34 2:24 9:21 3:11

06:35 06:36 06:36 06:37 06:37 06:38 06:38 06:39 06:40 06:40 06:41 06:42 06:42 06:43 06:43

08:18 08:18 08:17 08:17 08:16 08:15 08:15 08:14 08:13 08:13 08:12 08:11 08:10 08:10 08:09

10:41a 11:31p 11:45a NoMoon 12:49p 12:06a 1:53p 12:42a 2:59p 1:19a 4:04p 2:00a 5:08p 2:46a 6:09p 3:37a 7:05p 4:32a 7:55p 5:30a 8:39p 6:29a 9:18p 7:29a 9:52p 8:27a 10:23p 9:23a 10:52p 10:17a

3:22 4:19 5:13 6:05 6:55 7:44 8:34 10:16 11:07 11:59 12:26 1:18 2:08 2:56

10:01 10:56 11:50 12:17 1:08 1:58 2:48

3:48 4:44 5:38 6:30 7:21 8:11 9:02

06:35 06:35 06:36 06:37 06:37 06:38 06:39

3:39

9:53

06:40 08:25 6:23p

4:30 5:21 6:12 7:03 7:52 8:40 9:27

10:44 11:35 ----12:51 1:41 2:29 3:17

06:40 06:41 06:42 06:42 06:43 06:44 06:44

08:30 08:29 08:29 08:28 08:27 08:27 08:26 08:24 08:24 08:23 08:22 08:21 08:20 08:19

10:45a 11:38p 11:51a NoMoon 12:56p 12:11a 2:03p 12:45a 3:09p 1:21a 4:16p 2:01a 5:21p 2:45a 7:18p 8:08p 8:51p 9:28p 10:01p 10:31p 10:59p

3:35a 4:30a 5:28a 6:29a 7:30a 8:29a 9:27a 10:22a

San Antonio

Amarillo

2020 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jul/Aug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

2020 A.M. P.M. SUN MOON Jul/Aug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 01 Sat 02 Sun 03 Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thu 07 Fri

24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 01 Sat 02 Sun 03 Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thu 07 Fri

9:42 3:29 10:38 4:26 11:32 5:20 12:00 6:11 12:48 7:01 1:37 7:51 2:26 8:41 3:17 9:31 4:08 10:22 5:00 11:14 5:53 ----6:45 12:33 7:36 1:24 8:25 2:15 9:13 3:03

10:07 3:55 11:03 4:51 11:57 5:45 12:24 6:37 1:15 7:28 2:04 8:18 2:55 9:09 3:45 9:59 4:36 10:51 5:28 11:42 6:19 12:06 7:09 12:57 7:59 1:47 8:47 2:36 9:34 3:23

06:48 06:49 06:49 06:50 06:51 06:51 06:52 06:52 06:53 06:54 06:54 06:55 06:55 06:56 06:56

08:30 08:29 08:29 08:28 08:28 08:27 08:26 08:26 08:25 08:24 08:24 08:23 08:22 08:21 08:20

10:54a 11:43p 11:58a NoMoon 1:02p 12:19a 2:06p 12:55a 3:11p 1:33a 4:16p 2:14a 5:20p 3:00a 6:21p 3:51a 7:16p 4:46a 8:07p 5:44a 8:51p 6:44a 9:30p 7:43a 10:04p 8:41a 10:36p 9:37a 11:05p 10:30a

9:55 3:43 10:52 4:39 11:46 5:33 12:14 6:25 1:02 7:15 1:51 8:04 2:40 8:54 3:30 9:44 4:22 10:36 5:14 11:28 6:06 ----6:58 12:46 7:49 1:38 8:39 2:28 9:27 3:16

10:21 11:16 ----12:38 1:28 2:18 3:08 3:59 4:50 5:41 6:32 7:23 8:12 9:00 9:47

4:08 5:04 5:58 6:50 7:41 8:32 9:22 10:13 11:04 11:55 12:19 1:11 2:01 2:50 3:37

06:50 06:50 06:51 06:52 06:53 06:53 06:54 06:55 06:56 06:56 06:57 06:58 06:59 06:59 07:00

08:55 08:55 08:54 08:53 08:53 08:52 08:51 08:50 08:49 08:48 08:47 08:47 08:46 08:45 08:44

11:04a NoMoon 12:12p NoMoon 1:19p 12:31a 2:27p 1:04a 3:35p 1:39a 4:43p 2:17a 5:49p 3:00a 6:50p 3:49a 7:46p 4:44a 8:35p 5:42a 9:17p 6:44a 9:53p 7:46a 10:25p 8:47a 10:53p 9:45a 11:20p 10:42a

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

Sabine Pass, north Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 12:29 AM 1:20 AM 2:17 AM 3:23 AM 12:13 AM 1:38 AM 2:44 AM 3:37 AM 4:23 AM 5:03 AM 5:40 AM 6:13 AM 6:43 AM 7:10 AM 12:12 AM

High Island Height -0.12L 0.18L 0.51L 0.84L 1.42H 1.60H 1.74H 1.81H 1.82H 1.78H 1.72H 1.65H 1.58H 1.51H 0.25L

Time 7:53 AM 8:25 AM 8:55 AM 9:24 AM 4:46 AM 6:28 AM 8:07 AM 9:14 AM 9:52 AM 10:19 AM 10:44 AM 11:13 AM 11:48 AM 12:28 PM 7:36 AM

Height 1.55H 1.49H 1.44H 1.41H 1.11L 1.29L 1.38L 1.41L 1.40L 1.38L 1.32L 1.25L 1.15L 1.03L 1.45H

Time 1:32 PM 2:33 PM 3:33 PM 4:31 PM 9:54 AM 10:28 AM 11:09 AM 12:01 PM 12:56 PM 1:48 PM 2:37 PM 3:25 PM 4:15 PM 5:12 PM 1:14 PM

Height 0.86L 0.61L 0.33L 0.05L 1.40H 1.41H 1.43H 1.45H 1.47H 1.48H 1.46H 1.42H 1.36H 1.28H 0.90L

Time 6:31 PM 8:24 PM 10:25 PM

Height 1.27H 1.21H 1.27H

5:27 PM 6:20 PM 7:11 PM 8:00 PM 8:47 PM 9:31 PM 10:14 PM 10:54 PM 11:33 PM

-0.20L -0.39L -0.50L -0.55L -0.53L -0.45L -0.33L -0.16L 0.03L

6:22 PM

1.20H

Time

Height

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty Time 7:53 AM 12:58 AM 2:10 AM 3:43 AM 12:02 AM 1:19 AM 2:23 AM 3:20 AM 4:10 AM 4:53 AM 5:31 AM 6:03 AM 6:31 AM 6:56 AM 7:19 AM

Height 2.00H 0.19L 0.58L 0.96L 1.83H 2.10H 2.29H 2.39H 2.41H 2.36H 2.26H 2.13H 2.00H 1.87H 1.74H

Time 2:03 PM 8:29 AM 9:03 AM 9:33 AM 5:58 AM 7:49 AM 6:55 PM 7:48 PM 8:36 PM 11:11 AM 11:34 AM 11:54 AM 12:11 PM 12:28 PM 1:04 PM

Height 1.18L 1.83H 1.67H 1.55H 1.23L 1.37L -0.43L -0.50L -0.51L 1.51L 1.48L 1.42L 1.32L 1.20L 1.05L

Time 6:25 PM 2:48 PM 3:34 PM 4:21 PM 9:59 AM 10:19 AM

Height 1.45H 0.89L 0.57L 0.24L 1.46H 1.44H

1:22 2:22 3:19 4:16 5:16 6:24

PM PM PM PM PM PM

Height -0.22L 0.08L 0.44L 0.80L 1.38H 1.62H 1.81H 1.92H 1.94H 1.90H 1.81H 1.70H 1.59H 1.49H 1.40H

Time 8:03 AM 8:27 AM 8:47 AM 9:02 AM 6:06 AM 6:00 PM 6:54 PM 7:47 PM 8:38 PM 9:25 PM 10:07 PM 10:46 PM 1:30 PM 1:45 PM 2:04 PM

Height 1.58H 1.43H 1.29H 1.19H 1.07 -0.35L -0.48L -0.54L -0.53L -0.46L -0.33L -0.17L 1.10L 0.99L 0.85L

Height -0.05L 0.12L 0.30L 0.56H 0.67H 0.78H 0.85H 0.89H 0.90H 0.88H -0.20L -0.16L -0.09L 0.01L 0.13L

Time 5:01 PM 12:11 PM 10:21 AM 6:42 PM 7:34 PM 8:28 PM 9:27 PM 10:26 PM 11:23 PM

Height 0.63H 0.52H 0.49H 0.13L 0.00L -0.09L -0.15L -0.19L -0.20L

11:45 12:05 11:55 11:33 10:56

AM PM AM AM AM

0.83H 0.77H 0.69H 0.62H 0.56H

Height -0.08L 0.05L 0.20L 0.34L 0.66H 0.74H 0.07L 0.02L -0.02L -0.06L -0.09L -0.10L -0.08L -0.02L 0.07L

Time 5:38 PM 4:49 PM 4:05 PM 3:22 PM 11:52 PM

Height 0.77H 0.68H 0.62H 0.61H 0.15L

2:25 3:02 3:47 4:39 5:33 6:29 7:23 8:15 9:07

0.80H 0.85H 0.88H 0.91H 0.92H 0.90H 0.85H 0.77H 0.65H

8:16 PM 10:19 PM

1.44H 1.57H

5:10 PM 6:02 PM

-0.05L -0.28L

1.56H 1.59H 1.59H 1.56H 1.49H 1.42H

9:20 PM 9:59 PM 10:35 PM 11:11 PM 11:48 PM

-0.45L -0.33L -0.16L 0.06L 0.32L

Time 2:40 PM 2:59 PM 3:33 PM 4:17 PM 9:07 AM

Height 0.93L 0.68L 0.40L 0.11L 1.15H

Time 6:07 PM 8:03 PM 10:02 PM

Height 1.05H 1.06H 1.17H

Time 12:03 AM 12:57 AM 2:01 AM 3:33 AM 12:00 AM 1:41 AM 2:55 AM 3:53 AM 4:43 AM 5:25 AM 6:01 AM 6:29 AM 6:51 AM 7:08 AM 7:24 AM

5:07 PM

-0.15L

3:45 PM 4:59 PM 6:17 PM

1.14H 1.08H 1.04H

11:21 PM 11:54 PM

0.02L 0.24L

Time

Height

Time

Height

4:47 PM 5:50 PM

0.46L 0.29L

7:59 PM

0.48H

Port O’Connor Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 2:52 AM 3:30 AM 3:58 AM 9:16 AM 8:46 AM 8:31 AM 8:54 AM 9:34 AM 10:19 AM 11:04 AM 12:12 AM 12:56 AM 1:33 AM 2:04 AM 2:26 AM

Time 6:44 AM 7:18 AM 7:40 AM 7:13 AM 2:01 PM 2:01 PM 12:38 AM 1:27 AM 2:20 AM 3:14 AM 4:07 AM 4:55 AM 5:37 AM 6:15 AM 6:48 AM

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 1:00 AM 1:54 AM 2:53 AM 4:14 AM 1:04 AM 2:57 AM 4:20 AM 5:16 AM 6:04 AM 6:45 AM 7:19 AM 7:39 AM 7:52 AM 12:02 AM 12:35 AM

Time 12:28 PM 12:34 PM 12:42 PM 6:36 AM 9:30 PM 10:20 PM 11:13 PM

Height 1.18H 1.14H 1.10H 0.77L -0.17L -0.29L -0.35L

10:45 11:26 11:57 11:33 11:22 11:26 11:30

AM AM AM AM AM AM AM

1.50H 1.44H 1.36H 1.27H 1.21H 1.16H 1.14H

Height -0.08L 0.13L 0.38L 0.63L 0.96H 1.13H 1.27H 1.34H 1.35H 1.31H 1.24H 1.15H 1.08H 0.10L 0.26L

Time 9:21 AM 9:19 AM 9:23 AM 9:33 AM 6:21 AM 6:38 PM 7:26 PM 8:16 PM 9:06 PM 9:54 PM 10:41 PM 11:24 PM 1:57 PM 8:05 AM 8:18 AM

Height 1.01H 0.95H 0.92H 0.92H 0.84L -0.26L -0.35L -0.39L -0.36L -0.29L -0.18L -0.05L 0.94L 1.02H 0.99H

Height 0.01L 0.08L 0.17L 0.27L 0.35H 0.41H 0.45H 0.47H 0.47H 0.46H -0.08L -0.05L -0.01L 0.05L 0.12L

Time 6:49 PM 11:34 AM 10:29 AM 10:19 AM 7:56 AM 8:31 PM 9:22 PM 10:17 PM 11:12 PM

Height 0.39H 0.30H 0.30H 0.32H 0.34L -0.02L -0.06L -0.08L -0.09L

3:15 4:08 4:53 5:36 9:03

0.45H 0.45H 0.42H 0.37H 0.30H

Height 0.04L 0.20L 0.40L 0.61L 0.81L 1.00H 1.12H 1.19H 1.20H 1.17H 1.12H 1.05H 0.96H 0.86H 0.25L

Time 10:06 AM 7:40 AM 8:02 AM 8:31 AM 9:01 AM 6:13 PM 7:06 PM 7:55 PM 8:44 PM 9:33 PM 10:23 PM 11:12 PM 12:56 PM 1:03 PM 8:26 AM

Height -0.19L 0.09L 0.41L 0.74L 1.15H 1.36H 1.53H 1.63H 1.65H 1.62H 1.54H 1.45H 1.34H 1.24H 1.17H

Time 8:54 AM 8:33 AM 8:21 AM 8:13 AM 5:18 AM 5:32 PM 6:26 PM 7:20 PM 8:11 PM 9:00 PM 9:45 PM 10:27 PM 11:06 PM 11:43 PM 1:31 PM

Time 7:12 PM 7:38 PM 8:09 PM 12:49 PM

Height 0.79L 0.53L 0.26L 1.08

Time 10:10 PM 11:56 PM

Height 0.92H 0.83H

8:46 PM

0.01L

6:27 PM 6:42 PM

0.86L 0.70L

9:07 PM 10:19 PM

0.93H 0.85H

Time 3:24 PM 3:54 PM 4:29 PM 5:09 PM 9:46 AM

Height 0.76L 0.56L 0.33L 0.10L 0.95H

Time 6:19 PM 8:11 PM 10:51 PM

Height 0.84H 0.77H 0.81H

5:52 PM

-0.10L

4:06 PM 2:30 PM 3:01 PM

0.96H 0.84L 0.73L

5:04 PM 6:09 PM

0.89H 0.80H

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 2:47 AM 3:27 AM 4:09 AM 5:26 AM 5:16 AM 6:07 AM 7:04 AM 8:11 AM 9:22 AM 10:32 AM 12:04 AM 12:50 AM 1:30 AM 2:02 AM 2:22 AM

Time

Height

PM PM PM PM AM

Time

Height

4:05 PM 5:48 PM 6:50 PM 10:11 AM

0.28L 0.19L 0.11L 0.34H

8:52 PM 11:01 PM

0.33H 0.31H

7:41 PM

0.03L

1:35 PM

0.27L

6:27 PM

0.31H

Height 0.85H 0.81H 0.83H 0.87H 0.91H -0.10L -0.22L -0.28L -0.27L -0.22L -0.12L -0.01L 0.93L 0.83L 0.80H

Time 1:46 PM 2:19 PM 3:09 PM 4:12 PM 5:16 PM

Height 0.84L 0.66L 0.47L 0.26L 0.06L

Time 5:02 PM 6:52 PM 9:12 PM 11:52 PM

Height 0.92H 0.82H 0.78H 0.86H

3:09 PM 4:04 PM 1:23 PM

0.94H 0.87H 0.72L

11:57 PM

0.12L

5:02 PM

0.79H

Height 1.17H 1.04H 0.98H 0.98H 1.03L -0.30L -0.42L -0.47L -0.45L -0.38L -0.26L -0.12L 0.06L 0.25L 0.90L

Time 2:18 PM 2:29 PM 3:03 PM 3:47 PM 7:47 AM

Height 0.97L 0.72L 0.43L 0.14L 1.05H

Time 4:48 PM 7:08 PM 9:59 PM

Height 1.01H 0.92H 0.96H

4:38 PM

-0.11L

4:59 PM

0.97H

Port Aransas

Nueces Bay Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

San Luis Pass

Height -0.10L 0.16L 0.46L 0.85H 1.08H 1.30H 1.44H 1.51H -0.35L -0.32L -0.27L -0.19L -0.06L 0.10L 0.29L

East Matagorda

Freeport Harbor Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 4:41 AM 5:27 AM 6:10 AM 2:04 AM 12:34 PM 9:10 AM 9:34 AM 10:07 AM 12:10 AM 1:10 AM 2:04 AM 2:47 AM 3:22 AM 3:48 AM 4:05 AM

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 12:32 AM 1:14 AM 1:50 AM 2:14 AM 2:24 AM 4:27 AM 5:02 AM 5:46 AM 6:39 AM 7:41 AM 8:46 AM 9:42 AM 10:27 AM 10:56 AM 12:35 AM

South Padre Island

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

Time

11:11 PM

Height

0.27L

Time

Height

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Time 12:08 AM 1:01 AM 1:58 AM 3:08 AM 12:27 AM 2:28 AM 3:51 AM 4:52 AM 5:44 AM 6:31 AM 7:09 AM 7:36 AM 7:43 AM 7:36 AM 7:30 AM

Texas Coast Tides

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

Date Jul 24 Jul 25 Jul 26 Jul 27 Jul 28 Jul 29 Jul 30 Jul 31 Aug 1 Aug 2 Aug 3 Aug 4 Aug 5 Aug 6 Aug 7

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Fishing city lakes Continued from page 9

all sorts of different places for bass to hide and ambush prey,” Braudrick said. “Instead of throwing out into deep water, fish parallel to the shoreline. The reason a boat is so helpful in that scenario is that I can reach places that people on foot on the bank cannot reach.”

White Rock boasts parks around its shores, making the lake a good spot for bank fishing, but not every city lake has that luxury. Decker Lake, east of Austin, is another urban reservoir with a healthy fish habitat, but lacks the access of White Rock as most of the surrounding property is part of wildlife preserves or managed by the city.

Limited access or proximity to Austin shouldn’t stop anglers from ignoring Decker, judging by consistent healthy reports of fish activity from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“For the last several years, TPWD said Decker has more 5-plus pound bass per acre than any other lake in Texas,” Austin guide Ander Meine said. “Honestly I don’t know what it is. It’s a good environment with lots of vegetation.”

Heavy vegetation crowds shorelines on Decker so boats are practically necessary for a productive trip.

Meine said the lake is gaining steam among fishermen while nearby Lake Austin lags in popularity. High concentrations of largemouth bass and the chance of scoring a huge smallmouth buffalo keep people coming back.

“Decker kicks out bigger hybrids than any of the other lakes around here,” Meine said. “Pretty much all

of the species that live in there really thrive and get really big compared to most of the lakes around.”

Decker Lake’s power plant warming effects are cooling down now as the plant faces full decommission by 2021. Planners for Austin’s parks and recreation department endorsed a master plan for a large renovation of the park following the power plant’s end.

For now, anyone wanting to cash in on Decker won’t be able to access the lake due to COVID-19 restrictions in effect for the rest of July.

“Decker is controlled by the city of Austin, and the city has been much more strict on their closures of things than even the stuff controlled by Travis County or by the state,” Meine said. “It’s all shut down for the entire month.”

Pandemic closures haven’t stopped visitors at every city lake.

In fact, local marina worker Maggie Robinson has noticed more people flocking to Lake Houston, northeast of downtown Houston, during COVID than any other season in the past few years.

“During COVID, we got really packed,” she said. “Starting in March, we went from dead because everyone was still in school, to [full] because everyone in Texas was like ‘Hey, if we have to social distance, we’ll just go to the lake.’ The lake has definitely doubled in visitors since COVID.” The pandemic arrived around the same time as Lake Houston’s crappie spawn, Robinson said. Interest in crappie fishing has increased so much that marinas across the re-

gion are facing shortages of live bait. COVID may be to blame for the shortages, as anglers choose to spend isolation outside.

“Crappie season is our biggest season,” Robinson said. “Normally people assume crappie season starts in February, but fish follow their own almanac. This year the crappie season started late, somewhere around mid-March. Because of the shortage of minnows, people were still fishing and the crappie are actually sticking around a little bit longer this year. At my pier I’ve actually seen some crappie this late in the season.”

Business was not always booming at Lake Houston. For the past several years, however, lake levels dwindled and depressed fishing activity after dredging to contain flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

“The year after Harvey happened, we had a very bad crappie season,” Robinson said. “I mean, spawning hardly happened. This year they’ve made a comeback. It shows me the lake is getting a little bit healthier.”

Urban lakes can be hosts to healthy fishing, but anglers have to find out for themselves. Braudrick offers a little advice from his experience fishing everything around DFW. “Seek out water and try to figure out what’s in there,” Braudrick said.

“Every lake that’s got some size to it, that has induction to it from some creek system and is constantly getting fresh water is going to have some pretty good fish in it, as long as it’s got a healthy amount of baitfish to support the bigger fish.”

July 24, 2020

Page 17

Cats under the bridge Continued from page 8

From his pontoon, Darrell Taylor can accommodate up to eight fishermen.

Photo by David Sweet, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

and more, especially the bait camps and tackle stores. Nowadays I just make enough for me and my customers.”

A punch bait is a concoction that’s thick enough to glob onto a treble hook. The hook is pushed down in the bait with a stick.

“I use a No. 6 treble hook,” Taylor said. “About 4 inches above the hook, I’ll pinch on two No. 3 split-shots. That’s enough weight to keep the bait in the right spot.”

The guide said the right spot is about two to three inches off the bottom.

“It’s very important for each person to keep their baited hook in the strike zone,” he said. “If you’re not in that zone, you won’t catch too many fish. Most of the bites come from channel cats weighing from 1 to 5 pounds. But we also catch blues up to about 20 pounds. That’s always fun.”

Once the catfish are biting everybody gets in on the action.

“I have a 26-foot pontoon boat with padded swivel seats for eight fishermen,” Taylor said. “They are in the shade and out of the occasional rain shower.”

Page 18

July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

INDUSTRY

Cobalt Kinetics acquired

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Rifle manufacturer Cobalt Kinetics was acquired by BAQ Defense.

Solution on Page 21

SCI hires Source Outdoor Group Safari Club International retained Source Outdoor Group, of Gainesville, Georgia, as its marketing and communications agency.

Heuring heads marketing at Everest Kristi Heuring was appointed chief marketing officer at Everest. com.

Jobs at Bass Pro, Cabela’s Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s are hiring 5,000 new team members nationwide, with positions available in many cities across the country.

New president at Sightron

named president of Sightron.

New manager at Arcus Hunting Arcus Hunting, LLC appointed Jake Mersberger as its national accounts manager.

Nilodor names sales agency Outdoor Marketing Group was named the sales agency in the Southeastern United States for Nilodor.

New president at Leica Leica Camera named Mike Giannattasio as president of its North American division.

Suggs named CEO at USA Shooting Former national team member Matt Suggs was selected chief executive officer at USA Shooting.

Yuji “Mack” Matsumoto was ACROSS 2. A Central Texas reservoir (two words) 6. A wild turkey subspecies 9. A shooting sport (two words) 10. A blade design on a spinner bait 12. Site where the tent is set up 14. A spaniel breed 16. Type of action in the Henry rifle 18. Goldwaithe’s county 19. A Texas bay 21. A coastal fishing town (two words) 24. The left side of the boat 26. A type of bow 27. A partridge species 28. Spice used in scented plastics 29. A salmon species 30. The underhanded casting method 31. Good snacks in the deer blind (two words)

DOWN 1. The tight-fitting sleeping bag 3. The rabbit hunter 4. Strength of the fishing line 5. An African game species (two words) 7. Fishing net manufacturer 8. A Central Texas river 9. Fishing line type 11. The shorter plastic worm 13. A grouse species 15. The mourning dove’s call 17. Good feature on a fishing shirt 20. A type of jig head 22. A minnow species 23. Bad luck on the boat 25. An exotic mussel 26. A placement of supplies for future use

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

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

Crispy adobo pork salad with honey mustard lime vinaigrette 1 pound ground pork 1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed Olive oil 1/4 cup adobo seasoning Salt and pepper Chili powder Juice of 1-2 limes 2 tbsps. honey to taste 1 tbsp. honey mustard 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar Mixed greens or favorite lettuce Avocado, sliced Carrots, sliced

Take cauliflower and chickpeas and place onto a roasting pan with olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Roast at 375 for about 20-30 minutes. In a cast-iron pan brown your ground pork. Allow it to cook untouched for several minutes to allow any fat to render and get crispy. Add adobo seasoning.

Mix and continue to cook pork. Allow cauliflower and chickpeas to cool slightly. In a small container combine lime juice, honey mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar and shake with the lid on to combine. Taste for seasoning. Add mixed greens to a bowl with carrots and avocado. Add roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. Lastly, add crispy adobo seasoned pork. Drizzle with vinaigrette and enjoy. ­—Kristen Parma, Anxious Hunter Blog

Port Lavaca hosts Redfish Tour Austen Rivera, of Port O’ Conner, and Chris Castillo, of Nacogdoches, weighed a two-fish limit totaling 16.56 pounds to win the first regular-season event for the Texas Division of the IFA Redfish Tour on July 11 at Port Lavaca.

The anglers opted to stay relatively close to the launch and sight-casted to schools of reds in Matagorda Bay, using scented plastics.

The team won a boat prize package powered by a 90-horsepower outboard.

Joshua Gregory and RP Scritchfield finished second with 15.66 pounds, winning $2,559.

Alan Thompson and Tanner Thompson came in third with 15.16 pounds, winning $1,544.

In the IFA Kayak Tour event, Long Nguyen measured a combined total of 48 inches to win the event. The Port Lavaca resident threw spoons in the Point Comfort area. He won a kayak and $1,000 in cash.

Second-place finisher John Bendele finished second with 44.5 inches, winning a kayak and $325. He was followed by John Canion with 42.13 inches. Canion won $365.

—IFA Redfish Tour

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

July 24, 2020

Page 19

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT SABINE LAKE: 90 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics in the ship channel or Neches River. Schooling reds are good on topwaters.

TRINITY BAY: 86-87 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair in the flats on soft plastics. Flounder are fair around rocks using mullet or mud minnows.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 86-88 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good along the shorelines, jetties and areas with reefs on soft plastics in chartreuse/red.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 86-88 degrees.

Speckled trout are fair to good over reefs and other structure on soft plastics and top-wa-

ters. Redfish are fair to good in open bays.

TEXAS CITY: 85-87 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are fair to good along the shoreline on shrimp or soft plastics. Flounder are fair on live bait around the jetties and around rocks. Black drum are fair on blue crab.

FREEPORT: 84-85 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on shrimp around shell and in marshes. Flounder are good around the rocks on mullet.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 83 degrees. Redfish and flounder are good at Three Mile Reef on Bass Assassins. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good where the reef drops off into deeper water on soft plastics.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 83 degrees.

Speckled trout are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. Black drum are fair on blue crab above grass. Redfish are good on live bait around reefs.

PORT O’CONNOR: 82-84 degrees. Speckled

trout are good over mid-bay structure and also by wading the shorelines on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfish are good in the back lakes.

ROCKPORT: 88 degrees. Redfish are good on black top-waters in the bay area. Speckled trout are good on shrimp along the shorelines. Black drum are fair on blue crab.

PORT ARANSAS: 85-86 degrees. Redfish are good on shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics. Speckled trout are good on shrimp, ball tails and top-waters. Black drum are good on soft plastics or crab.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are good in the surf on shrimp. Speck-

led trout are fair to good in the Laguna Flats on soft plastics, top-waters and shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: 87-88 degrees. Speckled trout are good on shrimp, croaker and soft plastics. Redfish are good on cut mullet or soft plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: 85-87 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics and top-waters, although winds and floating grass have hampered anglers.

SOUTH PADRE: 85 degrees. Speckled trout are good near the surf on spoons, MirrOlures, top-water plugs and soft plastics.

PORT ISABEL: 83-84 degrees. Speckled trout are good over grass on shrimp. Redfish are good on shrimp or soft plastics along shorelines. Black drum are fair on blue crab.

—TPWD

Specks on jigs Continued from page 8

are root beer with a chartreuse tail with the jerk bait. With the shad a good color combination is Texas croaker with a chartreuse tail.”

Delgado will be fishing those two baits over sand pockets along the Intracoastal Waterway.

“I fish with a spinning reel that’s spooled with 15-pound test Power Pro, and a 20- to 25-pound test fluorocarbon leader,” she said. “And I like to fish a 7-foot rod. That whole setup gives me the opportunity to make a long cast in the shallow and clear water.”

Jerry Norris has been a guide on Sabine Lake for decades. He’s got one good color combination that’s been a trout killer for years.

At the bay, located on the Texas/

Louisiana border, the water is usually off-color on the lake itself, but trout green in Sabine Pass and along the jetties.

“I don’t usually pay too much attention to the color of the water here,” Norris said. “About 90 percent of the time, especially during the summer months, I’ll be fishing a red shad Assassin on a 1/4-ounce jig head. I don’t think the color of the jig head makes a difference. I particularly like the 4-inch forked tail shad. It’s got a slim profile with lots of action.

During the early summer months, I’ll be fishing in Sabine Pass and the jetties a whole lot. That particular Assassin will catch trout all day long over the shallow shell, and when fished from 4 to 8 feet

along the jetties.”

On East Galveston Bay, longtime guide Jim West said some of his best producing colors are purple/chartreuse tail, morning glory/chartreuse tail and plum/ chartreuse tail.

“What I’ve found is that the best color to use is whatever gives you confidence,” West said. “During the summer months, the water on East Galveston Bay will mostly be semi-clear, or what you might call trout green. We do a lot of wading here along the shoreline and the reefs. It’s mostly water that’s 3 to 4 feet deep.”

West’s lure choices change as the day goes on.

“Right at daylight I’ll like to fish a Mirrolure Lil John,” he

said. “That’s a twitch bait that’s 4 1/4-inches long. It can be fished fast when trout are aggressive.

But after the sun is up, the shallow bite will move deeper to 6 to 8 feet of water along the south shoreline. That’s when I’ll tie on a 4-inch Mirrolure Paddle Tail.

In that deep and darker water it has a good tail vibration. It can be fished on a straight retrieve or with a stop and go action. I’ll usually be fishing with a 1/4-ounce jig head. But if I’m fishing a shallow shell reef I’ll switch over to a 1/8-ounce jig head for a slower descent.”

On East Matagorda Bay, veteran guide Charlie Paradoski is fishing Assassins in a variety of colors.

Those who have fished with Para-

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doski notice he keeps a 5-gallon bucket of Assassins in all shapes, sizes and colors.

“The number one thing to remember is to let the fish tell you what they want to bite,” Paradoski said. “On any given day I’ll constantly be changing tails until I find out which one the trout want to eat. During the summer months I’ll be fishing with a 5- to 7-inch Assassin with either a rat tail or a ball tail. If that doesn’t work I’ll switch over to a 5- to 6-inch Turbo Sea Shad. I never know what color is going to work.

But some of the most productive summer colors over the years are plum/chartreuse tail, hot chicken, morning glory/limetreuse tail, opening night and fire tiger.”

Page 20

July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

NATIONAL

Fans of cichlids

IOWA

Artist Maynard Reece dies at 100

Continued from page 8

The Rio Grande cichlid is a native Texas species that is becoming a popular sport fish within the freshwater fly-fishing community. Photo by Chris Johnson.

longer than 10 inches in length. He said he loves targeting the species for three reasons.

“Rios are the only cichlid native to the United States, and they originated right here in Texas,” Wu said. “As a Texan, I’m proud of that.”

Wu also admires the beauty that the cichlids possess. He is fascinated by their iridescent sheen and their ability to change colors as their mood shifts.

The challenge that cichlids provide is another reason Wu likes pursuing them.

“As a fly angler, I am always trying to improve my skills, and cichlids can be downright tough to catch,” he said.

“When you fool one on the fly, you’ve done something special.”

Lately, Wu has been catching Rios along the Blanco River. Most of his success has come while casting a small fly

LSONews.com

called the Rio Getter that’s tied by local Hill Country fly maker, Matt Bennett.

“Finding fish that are cruising has been the ticket,” he said. “If you can put your fly within 6 to 8 inches of a fish in the direction it is headed, you’ll usually get bit.”

Wu also has had more success when he’s been able to conceal his presence.

“Anytime I can sort of hide behind some brush or tall grass and cast to cichlids, the bites are always better,” he said.

“They get really hesitant if they know you’re there.”

Wu and Johnson both agree that the fly-fishing community has an increasing affinity towards Rio Grande cichlids.

“People are traveling from all over the country to Texas to chase the feisty fish,” Johnson said.

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Maynard Reece died July 11. Reece won the Federal Duck Stamp competition five times from 1948 to 1971 and his artwork was featured in national magazines such as Life, Sports Illustrated and the Saturday Evening Post. Many duck hunters own one or more of his prints, often obtained at a Ducks Unlimited banquet.

One of Reese’s books, Fish and Fishing, was published in 1963 as a Better Homes & Garden-branded book, and included more than 100 detailed, color paintings of North American freshwater fish.

—Staff report

WISCONSIN

Bonnier cancels Field & Stream expo As a result of growing concerns over COVID-19, Wisconsin Outdoor Life/Field & Stream Expo, Bonnier canceled the 2020 Outdoor Life/Field & Stream Expo presented

by Suzuki KingQuad, scheduled for August 7-9 in Madison.

—Bonnier

MISSOURI

Applications open for conservation officers The Missouri Department of Conservation announces it is taking applications during July for up to 16 participants for its 2021 conservation agent training academy, which will begin April 1, 2021.

—MDC

Museum voted best aquarium Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo. has been voted America’s Best Aquarium through a national public poll conducted by USA TODAY ranking the top 20 prominent institutions across North America.

The museum consists of a 1.5-milliongallon Aquarium Adventure showcasing 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds, and immersive Wildlife Galleries that bring visitors eye-to-eye with the greatest collection of record-setting game animals ever assembled.

—Wonders of Wildlife

ALABAMA

Record blue marlin Anglers and crew on board the Fleurde-lis, a 72-foot Viking out of Grand Isle, Louisiana, owned by Keith and Ginger Myers, brought home a pending Alabama state record for blue marlin July 5.

Ginger Myers caught the 851.9 pound blue marlin, not only setting a pending state record but also positioning her to claim the record for the largest blue caught by a woman in the Gulf of Mexico.

DELAWARE

—Mongooffshore.com

Deer harvest record

EVERY DEER BLIND NEEDS ONE! online: LSONews.com phone: 214- 361- 2276 mail: PO BOX 551695 Dallas, TX 75355

A record 16,969 deer were harvested in the 2019-2020 hunting season in Delaware. According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the harvest exceeded the previous record by 1,665 deer compared to 15,304 deer harvested during the 2017-2018 hunting season.

A record number of 2,221 deer were harvested on Sundays, representing 13.1 percent of the total statewide harvest. The 2019-2020 hunting season was the second consecutive year in which deer hunting occurred on all Sundays.

—DNREC

OREGON

Spearing smallmouth allowed The use of bait, spears and spear guns to harvest smallmouth bass is now allowed in the Coquille River system from July 15 through Oct. 31. The temporary rule aims to reduce impacts of illegally introduced smallmouth bass on native fall Chinook salmon.

Coquille adult fall Chinook returns were extremely low in 2018 and 2019, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff reviews showed the illegally introduced smallmouth bass are partly to blame.

Biologists first confirmed smallmouth bass in the Coquille in 2011 and discovered several age classes, meaning the fish had been in the river for several spawning cycles. Vonderohe said their range grows yearly because the Coquille is a small system with habitat and temperatures conducive to smallmouth bass reproduction.

—ODFW

LOUISIANA

New head of law enforcement Lt. Col. Chad Hebert, a 27-year veteran at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will lead its Enforcement Division.

Hebert, 48, promoted to the rank of Colonel, replaces Col. Sammy Martin, who announced his retirement this month. He will oversee a staff of 257, including enforcement agents and supporting staff.

—LDWF

ILLINOIS

Boat sales rebound The National Marine Manufacturers Association reported new boat sales rebounded sharply in May, up 59 percent compared to April, and up 9 percent from pre-pandemic levels on a seasonally-adjusted basis.

Leading the growth were PWCs, saltwater fishing boats and jet boats, which account for 41 percent of new boat sales annually.

Outboard engine shipments to boat builders also increased for the second consecutive month through June.

—NMMA

MONTANA

Surplus license procedures change Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has developed a new system for issuing surplus licenses to give residents and nonresidents a more equitable opportunity.

Resident and nonresident hunters will be able to sign up for the new Surplus License List. The signup is online at MyFWP, and will be randomized as licenses become available. Payment of the license fee is not required and obtaining a license from the list does not affect existing preference points.

For deer and elk, the signup is open through Aug. 7.

—MFWP

INTERNATIONAL ALBERTA, CANADA

First season for sandhill cranes In September, Alberta will open its first sandhill crane season. Crane hunting will largely overlap with the regular waterfowl season.

Alberta joins Manitoba and Saskatchewan, both of which have allowed hunting of the birds since 1971. A 2019 estimate indicated 945,996 birds in the provinces, about double the management goal. In 2018, Manitoba and Saskatchewan hunters bagged 13,000 sandhills.

—Delta Waterfowl

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

July 24, 2020

Page 21

PRODUCTS

>> 590 SHOCKWAVE PUMP-ACTION FIREARM: Mossberg & Sons’ new firearm is built on the company’s proven pump-action design. It features an overall length of 26.37 inches; 14-inch heavy-walled barrel; non-binding twin action bars; positive steel-to-steel lockup; an anti-jam elevator; dual extractors; and an ambidextrous, top-mounted safety.

Other features include a clean-out tube; drilled and tapped anodized aluminum receiver; cylinder bore barrel with single bead sight; and sling swivel studs. This model also has a “bird’s head”-shaped grip and a retro styled wood forend. Its MSRP is $535.

EL MATADOR SUNGLASSES: Hobie Polarized has launched three new sunglasses for fishermen, including the El Matador sunglasses, pictured. Featuring an upgraded Sightmaster+ lens profile, this model offers a full coverage frame with integrated side shields that slide into place to block sunlight and improve sight lines. Hobie also has upgraded its amber lens for better viewing when looking at the water’s surface. The sunglasses start at about $100 and come in a variety of lens colors.

>>

>>

BONE COLLECTOR POWERVIEW BINOCULARS: These 10x42 binoculars by Bushnell offer fully coated optics that draw in generous amounts of light for clear vibrant images, even in low-light conditions. Available in Realtree Edge camo, the binoculars have soft-touch rubber with a diamond cut for a comfortable — and sure — grip. Its oversized focus wheel allows hunters to focus quickly and its quick adjusting twist-up eyecups allow for fast target acquisition.

The binoculars cost about $110.

>>

HSS PRO SERIES VEST: This Hunter Safety System vest utilizes ElimiShield, a scent-control technology that will kill human odors. Made from a lightweight fabric with ventilated mesh, the vest offers a built-in USB port so that hunters can plug in their devices. Features include bino straps and eight pockets to hold all of a hunter’s gear. Available in Mossy Oak Bottomland camo, the vest costs about $140.

>>

RAPTOR ANCHOR: Minn Kota’s shallow-water anchor, the winner of the 2020 ICAST show’s Best Boating Accessory category, is designed to automatically react to changing conditions on the water so an angler can concentrate on fishing and not on re-positioning the boat. The anchor’s technology boasts “Active Anchoring” and “Auto-Bottom Mode,” which enable the anchor to automatically monitor the water and bottom conditions to keep the boat anchored firmly in place.

Features like a wide profile and heavy-duty pivot points help to reduce wear and maintain longer stability. It also produces twice as much retraction force as anchoring force to ensure spike removal. The Raptor comes equipped with a wireless remote and optional foot switch. Available in 8- and 10-foot lengths and in a variety of colors, the anchors start at $1,499.99.

Puzzle solution from Page 18

Page 22

July 24, 2020

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

DATEBOOK Current as of press time

JULY 28 - AUGUST 1

AUGUST 8

Texas Billfish Classic Fishing Tournament Freeport River Place Freeport (281) 857-0938 texasbillfishclassic.com

Coastal Conservation Association Galveston Banquet Sea Star Base (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

AUGUST 13

JULY 29 - AUGUST 2

Dallas Safari Club Monthly Meeting Scheel’s, The Colony (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

2020 Texas Lone Star Shootout Invitational Billfish Tournament Port O’Connor galatiyachts.com

AUGUST 1

AUGUST 15-16

AUGUST 5-9

AUGUST 21-22

Bass Champs Bass Tournament Toledo Bend (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

Texas Gun and Knife Shows Gun Show Abilene Convention Center (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknife.com

Texas Legends Billfish Tournament Billfish Tournament Fisherman’s Wharf Port Aransas (409) 739-4817 txlegends.com

AUGUST 6

Babes on the Bay Fishing Tournament Paws and Taws Convention Center, Fulton (361) 205-0182 babesonthebay.com

AUGUST 21-23

Texas Hunters and Sportsman’s Expo 30th Annual Expo McAllen Convention Center McAllen texashuntersassociation.com

Ducks Unlimited Allen Dinner Cross Creek Ranch, Parker (469) 951-2723

AUGUST 7-9

South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce 39th Annual Ladies Kingfish Tournament South Padre Island (956) 761-4412 spichamber.com

AUGUST 28-29

Deer Breeders Corporation Convention San Antonio dbcdeer.com

SEPTEMBER 1 - JANUARY 23

Texas Dove Hunters Association Texas Banded Bird Challenge texasdovehunters.com

CLASSIFIEDS HUNTING TEXAS TROPHY WHITETAILS Axis, Blackbuck, Hogs Free range whitetail and exotic hunts in Sonora, TX www.HuntTexasWhitetails.com (717) 512-3582 NEED ARCHERY RANGE? www.TexasArchery.info

STOCKERBUCK.COM Call now to order Texas Trophy Bred does and stockerbucks or check us out online at stockerbuck.com Call Jay (505) 681-5210

ANTLERS WANTED Buying all species, all conditions.

Looking for large quantities Call Del (830) 997-2263

DUVAL COUNTY South Texas Dove Hunting 65 acres, Lodging RV Power Available Huntershilton.com for more info (361) 244-0544 or (361) 443-9330

DOVE HUNTING Special Season White-Wing South Zone Sept. 5,6, 12&13 and Regular Season (361) 701-4711 ARGENTINA DOVE SHOOTING 5 Star Lodge – Hosted by Owner 4 Days/3 Nts/6 Shoots - $1320/person (972) 769-8866

ARGENTINA DUCK HUNTING Lots of Birds!!! Hosted by Owner Partridge & Dove Shoots Included 5 Days/4 Nts/8 Shoots - $4250 Includes everything but shells and tips dagaradventures.com (972) 769-8866 TDHA - JOIN TODAY Texas Dove Hunters Association TexasDoveHunters.com (210) 764-1189 AXIS HIDES Tanned axis hides Axis pillows gbroach@ktc.com (830) 896-6996 DECOYS WANTED WOODEN Duck and Goose. Top prices paid.

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JOBS DO YOU WANT A WEBSITE FOR YOUR BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION OR HOBBY? https://dolinw.com/custom-websites/ FACILITIES MANAGER Port Bay Hunting and Fishing Club, Inc. Full-time position. Responsible for onsite operations and maintenance of a 108-year-old duck hunting and fishing club in Rockport.

Duties include: Managing kitchen, housekeeping, and other contract staff; managing member activities and well-being while at the club.

Compensation includes housing on site.

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July 24, 2020

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July 24, 2020

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