Lone Star Outdoor News 072823

Billfish Pachanga becoming a staple

Bait and Switch

Catfish bite steady on live bluegill, cut bait, punch bait

newS

Anglers across the state are catching catfish in a variety of areas. Strong numbers of eating-sized channel and blue catfish have been providing consistent action in rivers, lakes, creeks, sloughs and stock ponds. While bluegill has been the bait of choice for those who have been able to catch them, fishermen willing to brave the heat are seeing a fast bite with several different offer-

Catfish enthusiast Jerry Garcia has found recent success chasing blues and channels on Lake Worth, noting the efficiency of using bluegill during evening and nighttime hours in 3-4 feet of water around stumps.

By Eric Pickartz

For Lone Star outdoor newS

The Billfish Pachanga Fishing Tournament out of Port Aransas was held a few weeks ago and produced some impressive totals, but the real winners were conservation and community.

Five years removed from its inception, the Billfish Pachanga tournament has seen drastic growth and success, quickly turning into a regional staple.

Co-founder Gabe Goodman and his partner started out of their dockside restaurant, Virginia’s on the Bay, which now hosts all of the tournament’s on-shore events.

“It’s been a very grassroots campaign, and we’re on the ground, setting things up and

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“I’ve caught some blue catfish up to 20-25 pounds, but most of the fish have been in the 15- to 20-inch range,” Garcia said. “Cut buffalo has also produced steady bites when I haven’t been able to get bluegill for bait. Nothing seems to catch the big ones, however, like

Meanwhile, along the Rio Grande River near Laredo, Sergio Rivas has been catching quite a few blue cats and the occasional flathead while bank fishing. Most of what he has been catching have been between 5 and

“Live bluegill has by far been the best bait, but cut shad, cut carp, and cut tilapia have also been producing bites,” Rivas said.

Lake Fork fishing guide Russell Rollins has found the most consistency with channel cats this summer, noting large schools in about 25 feet of water near the edges of creek channels. Most of the fish he has caught have been concentrated 4-5 feet from the bottom in the “I’ve had the most luck tying my boat off to a tree and positioning it over a school of fish,” he said. “From there, my anglers have been dropping punch bait straight down, and catching channel cats as fast as they

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DSC headed to Atlanta in 2025

By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS

The City of Dallas announced a multi-year plan to demolish and rebuild the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, the site of the Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention and Sporting Expo for the last 14 years.

Previous plans of the convention center were to remodel the facility in stages, leaving room for major conventions to continue with limited incon-

venience. However, the recent announcement to close the entire facility during the reconstruction caused conventions to adjust.

DSC had to look for a new temporary home. The first goal was to stay in the state, but the two largest facilities in Houston and San Antonio weren’t able to accommodate dates for the convention that uses 800,000 square feet of space, and Fort Worth’s smaller convention center is planning a remodel of its own. DSC reviewed a total of

Freshwater Fishing Report Page 10

Game Warden Blotter Page 12

Heroes Page 14

Sun, Moon & Tides Page 16

Saltwater Fishing Report Page 19

HUNTING

32 locations nationwide, eventually coming to the decision that the 2025-2029 conventions would take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

DSC said the search and evaluation took into consideration convention center facilities, hotels, amenities and international airport access, as well as regional outdoor lifestyle demographics.

Convention dates will remain the same as previously announced for each of the five

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FISHING

Fishermen pursuing catfish have been having the best luck bringing in larger cats on live panfish.

Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Rebecca took home the grand championship at the Billfish Pachanga tournament in Port Aransas. Photo by Fred “Ace” Salinas.

DSC exhibitors will be greeting potential customers in Atlanta beginning in 2025. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

FROM WORK TO PLAY

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

Conditions favor corn prices

By Lane Moczygemba For Lone Star outdoor newS

It’s almost that time of year. Checking blinds, fixing feeders, cutting back the summer’s brush growth, and worrying about corn prices. As deer hunters begin to prepare for the fall, many wonder how high this season’s feed bill is going to be.

Several factors influence the market price of corn, including climate, crude oil prices, the ethanol market, demand from China and the U.S. dollar. Most U.S.-produced corn is farmed in

the Midwest between April and June, with a typical harvest between October and November.

But what does that really mean for whole, shelled, cleaned, deer corn in the state of Texas?

One major factor Brendon Lowe, president of Mumme’s Inc. in Hondo, pointed out is that most of the deer corn sold in Texas is homegrown.

“In general, deer corn prices should definitely see a decrease compared to last year,” Lowe said. “We had more rain in May of this year than all of last year

combined. So, we are seeing a tremendous yield from our local producers.”

This helps lead to lower costs since there is no need to bring corn in from out of state.

Down the road in LaCoste, Craig Muennink of Muennink Grain echoed Lowe’s optimism.

“Normally we just try to average everything together when harvest is over with,” he said.

“I feel like it’s going to come down.”

Although Texas corn farmers had favorable weather this year, factors like the cost of bags and

the cost of labor to fill those bags also contribute to the price consumers pay.

However, one plus for Texans is the ability to purchase deer corn practically anywhere across the state. Gas stations, sporting goods, grocery stores and other various retailers all commonly sell deer corn. But in most cases, ranchers and hunters get the most bang for their buck through milling companies and feed stores, such as Lyssy & Eckel, Mumme’s Inc. and Muennink Grain.

“Corn prices at feed stores are

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A dream come true

Georgetown gun store delivers atmosphere

By David Schlake

Lone Star outdoor newS

Behind a gun counter in Georgetown stands a man with a well-groomed beard and a mild sunburn, each serving as credentials whenever he faces his outdoor-dwelling clientele.

Stone walls blend seamlessly with taxidermy and Texas heritage, while hand-crafted fixtures house high-grade shotguns and premium apparel. Personal touches paint a picture of authenticity while subtly telling Cody Hirt’s story for him.

River and Ranch Provisions isn’t just the manifestation of a dream, but a receipt of every envisioned detail down to the Blanton’s horse that sits atop each free-standing clothing rack.

“The moment we walked through this door right here, it was just four bare walls,” Hirt said, pointing to the original drawings his children helped color in with crayons. “But as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was going to be.”

However, only locals would know the hunting and fishing store (opened April 2022) is the third establishment Hirt has opened on that same downtown square since 2016.

After working in corporate aircraft sales for 17 years, the West Texas native pivoted in a direction that allowed him to intertwine his career and his passions. He started

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Moving to biodegradable wads

Shotgun shell manufacturers introduce new technology

By Craig Nyhus

Star outdoor newS

Lone

Hunters and clay target shooters are generally good about picking up their empty hulls. On a dove hunt, if they don’t, they know they may not be invited back.

There’s another part of the shotshell that doesn’t get picked up, though — the wad. The plastic wads travel up to 30 yards after the shotgun is fired, then taking years to break down into smaller pieces that can cause issues with the soil and water. And, plastic shotgun wad production is in the billions annually worldwide.

According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, plastic wads have been found in the stomachs of ocean foraging birds, and the smaller microscopic pieces have been found in worms, mussels, crabs

and fish. Plastic wads also have been a subject of concern in NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.

A number of shotshell manufacturers are tackling the issue head-on. Baschieri & Pellagri, as part of the companies’ EnviroShield initiative, collaborated with the University of Bologna to introduce GreenCore wad technology, a 100-percent biodegradable shotshell wad that decomposes on exposure to bacteria naturally present in the environment. B&P said the wads are denser than water, allowing them to sink quickly and initiate the decomposition process.

BOSS Shotshells, in its copper-plated bismuth shells, introduced new wads that have a 1-percent (bio-tec) additive to the plastic which in a three- to five-year time frame deteriorates from the microbes in the water/soil digesting the plastic.

“This allows our wads to stay sustainable and strong while stored and being shot for

optimal performance,” the company said. “They will only break down over time after they’ve sat with the earth after being fired.”

The new loads will appear first in the new Warchief loads this fall.

Other attempts at wads that degrade have been made over the years. Cornstarch wads and polyvinyl alcohol wads worked to a degree, but could degrade inside the shotgun shell if they were stored or used in waterlogged conditions, reminding some more experienced hunters of the old paper shells and wads that swelled when wet.

More recently, technological advances have several other manufacturers, and even reloaders, jumping in.

Kent-Gamebore is featuring its Silver Steel Bio-Wad shells. Rio has the Pro Eco Wad. And BIOAMMO claims it has developed the first 0-percent plastic cartridge on the market for both the wad and shell casing.

While most of the corn purchased by Texas hunters was grown in Texas, prices are affected by factors and conditions nationwide and worldwide. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Wads that degrade over time without adding plastic to the environment are gaining in popularity. Photo from Baschieri & Pellagri.

Cody Hirt, the owner of River and Ranch Provisions, answers a customer’s questions about firearms. The Georgetown shop opened a year ago.

Photo by David Schlake, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Season’s first expo brings big crowds

By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star outdoor newS

They say records are made to be broken.

That’s what happened at this year’s Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo. The annual threeday event that has called McAllen home for the last 32 years surpassed attendance expectations in only the first day.

Many attendants expressed a sigh of relief during the second and third days, citing lighter, more manageable crowds.

“I have been coming here since the first year — some 30 years ago,” Harlingen resident Martin Zamora said, as he stood in front of one of the many exhibitors. “And I have never seen so many people like this.”

Marsha Green, who was representing one of the Rio Grande Valley car dealerships, was shocked by the turnout.

“This is awesome,” she said, passing out A La Barbie pink-colored koozies. “Friday was a mega opening.”

Although the expo is one of the state’s largest events, catering to seasoned brands in the outdoors industry and their enthusiastic consumers, it’s also a place for those who want to debut their products or services for the first time.

Among those newcomers was TXQ Rubs.

The numbers, which represent Texas area codes, serve as the names for different seasonings.

“We all know hunting and fishing folks love to cook,” Lou said. “Why not introduce them to a product they can use at their respective camps?”

Castro said the rubs come in five different blends, and that each can has everything one needs for meat, chicken or fish.

All rub products are sold at more than 200 H-E-B stores in Texas and at some 60 independent shops all over the country.

“This expo is the place to be,” he said Sunday.

At another end of the expo, Pete Garcia talked to people behind the counter of Rancho Pisto Pesca, a business that sells outdoor apparel.

Rancho stands for hunting. Pisto for spirits. Pesca for fishing.

Another newcomer to the show was the Quail Coalition.

Founded in 2009, QC is looking to expand its reach in Texas, as it plans to open a new RGV chapter.

And why not? Some of the state’s best quail numbers come out of South Texas.

Today, QC has more than 3,200 members in Texas and Oklahoma, raising more than $3.8 million in the last 14 years.

“We sold 43 annual memberships and three life memberships,” said Jay Stine, executive director at QC. “Good show.”

Former game warden killed

Lone Star outdoor newS

A former Texas game warden and onduty Sheriff’s deputy, David Bosecker, was killed in the line of duty after responding to a domestic disturbance.

On July 21, deputies with the Eastland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic fight in progress at a residence on Hwy 183 between Cisco and Rising Star. Bosecker arrived on scene first and immediately began receiving gunfire from the suspect. Bosecker was struck and fatally wounded. Other units arriving were able to apprehend the suspect and no one else was

injured. The suspect was taken to Stephens County Jail where he was charged with cap ital murder.

Bosecker had been in law enforcement for more than 21 years, including as a game warden with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and a police officer for the Comanche Police Department. He began in Eastland County as a deputy in 2021 and also worked part time for Cisco Police Department as a marine enforcement officer.

True Velocity acquires suppressor manufacturer Delta P Design

Garland-based ammunition manufacturer TV Ammo, Inc. acquired advanced suppressor technology company Delta P Design.

The acquisition strengthens the company’s portfolio of American-made advanced, lightweight ammunition technology.

True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition is designed to offer extensive advantages over traditional brass-cased ammunition, including exceptional dimensional consistency, significantly enhanced accuracy, reduced heat transfer and an approximate 30-percent reduction in weight over traditional brass-cased cartridges.

Lou and Melissa Castro show their new seasonings at the Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo in McAllen. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

David Bosecker

Corn costs

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generally lower, especially if they’re one that manufactures it,” Lowe said. “They can sell it cheaper than your local store because there is no middleman.”

There are also family-owned and -operated farms with grain elevators, like Sweet Water Grain in Agua Dulce, where they focus almost exclusively on cleaned corn production.

“I guess the big thing is we’re farmers first,” said Bryce Osborn of Sweet Water Grain, “Currently we are in a position where we can grow enough of our own corn to supply our demand. That being the case, we can offer a competitive price.”

But growing their own crop isn’t a shortcut to cheap deer corn.

“Bags, labor, pallets, plastic wrap, freight and mineral oil to keep the dust down are all costs that influence our prices,” Osborn said. “But ultimately, cleaned corn is a superior product for hunters because they don’t have to worry about dust, stalks and cobbs clogging their feeders”.

No matter where hunters buy their corn, the increase in dependable local supply appears to be the primary factor leading to improved deer corn prices compared to last year. The current price for a 50-pound bag of deer corn at Mumme’s is $11.99.

On the move

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years, and Atlanta representatives will be on hand at the 2024 Convention in Dallas to provide information about the convention center and city.

Conor Harrison, DSC’s communications director, said the response to the changes have been 90-percent positive under the circumstances. Negative comments primarily addressed the move away from Texas and the Dallas area, with some Texas exhibitors saying they would not be making the trip.

“For the international exhibitors, the relative ease of travel into Atlanta was a positive,” Harrison said.

Schalk Pienaar, of Schalk Pienaar Safaris Namibia, said most outfitters prefer Dallas, “but I guess Atlanta is easy to fly in and out of.”

Pienaar said the concerns are over the potential for fewer attendees, with lower numbers of the locals who come to the show over the weekend.

“But, on the other hand, it will probably attract a new component, too,” he said.

Harrison said DSC plans to engage in an extensive marketing campaign leading up to the 2025 show in the Atlanta area, as

Better wads

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According to the Virginia research, the wads studied were made of a material naturally produced by bacteria and already present in aquatic environments. When the wad comes into contact with aquatic environments, the resident bacteria recognize the material as a food source and consume it.

Some hunters may worry about bio-

well as in neighboring states, especially the Carolinas.

DSC will take another step in support of its Texas exhibitors and attendees who are reluctant to travel to the show.

In 2025, DSC will begin hosting a second, smaller summer convention in Dallas aligned with the DSC Foundation Gala.

“This Expo will feature many of our valued Exhibitor Partners, include evening events, and culminate with the annual DSC Foundation Gala on Saturday night,” DSC announced.

Weatherby Foundation International Hunting and Conservation Award Dinner also will move to Atlanta.

“We are looking forward to having another challenge in life that we can conquer and know that Atlanta will be a good home for us until we can return to Dallas,” said Weatherby Foundation President Peter Larsen.

“Dallas will always be home,” DSC said.

“We are excited about the future of the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and look forward to the opportunity to take the greatest hunting and conservation show on the road for a few years.”

degradable wads driving up the price of shells, while others wonder if the wads will be required in some areas in the future. According to Graf & Sons, a reloading retailer, the biodegradable wads made by Downrange are available for about $0.03 each when purchased in quantities of 500 or more.

Corn prices are impacted by export demands, oil prices, the ethanol market and the weather. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Freshwater equals more spots

By Nate Skinner tar outdoor newS

Over the years, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has stocked several freshwater power plant lakes, as well as various small ponds and reservoirs, with red drum to create unique angling opportunities for anglers. Although some freshwater bodies of water may still contain small populations of redfish, Calaveras Lake and Braunig Lake are the only two lakes that receive annual redfish stockings.

Anglers chasing reds on these lakes have been consistently catching redfish sporting multiple spots — noticeably more than most reds caught along the coast — with some containing as many as 100 or more.

According to the Mitchell Nisbet, the TPWD Inland Fisheries San Antonio district manager and biologist, Calaveras and Braunig lakes receive a combined total of 1 million red drum fingerlings each fall. About one-third of these fish go to Braunig, while the remaining two-thirds end up in Calaveras.

Nisbet said TPWD has been stocking red drum in these lakes since the mid 1970s. The fingerlings are a product of the same hatchery efforts that stock coastal estuaries, most typically coming from the Perry R. Bass Marine Hatchery.

Stocking Calaveras and Braunig involves a fairly lengthy process, as the fingerlings must slowly become acclimated to freshwater before officials release them into the lakes. The fish receive a slow trickle of freshwater from the reservoirs while they become acclimated to the lower salinity in tanks on the trucks transported in.

“Because the chemistry and salinity of the water in Calaveras and Braunig reservoirs are different from coastal estuaries, the red drum inhabiting these lakes are unable to spawn,” Nisbet said. “Therefore, annual stockings allow these bodies of water to maintain a sustainable population of red drum. Significant stockings comparable to what we have today began occurring from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, and nearly 1 million fingerings have been stocked annually since about 2006.”

Keeping bait alive

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Have you ever spent your hardearned money on live bait only to have it die before your fishing trip came to an end? It’s no secret shrimp and croaker are prime live bait options for catching a spectrum of gamefish and other species along our Texas coastal waters. However, keeping these crustaceans and baitfish alive involves a whole lot more than just throwing them in a livewell or an aerated cooler until you attach them to a hook.

Jenna Alexander, the general manager of Marker 37 Marina in Corpus Christi, said her crew regularly encounters anglers who purchase both live shrimp and live croaker before hitting the water in pursuit of speckled trout, redfish, flounder and black drum. Her suggestion for anglers who would like to carry both along for a fishing trip is to store the two types of bait in different livewells or containers. According to Alexander, the croaker will eventually try to eat the shrimp as they become hungry, and it could happen rather quickly if they haven’t recently eaten.

As for shrimp, she urges anglers to keep an eye out for individuals that perish in the livewell or container.

“Shrimp emit ammonia into the water after they die,” Alexander explained. “Once they start to turn pink, they really become a danger to the other live baitfish that are sharing the same water with them,

as that is really when they start to release toxic levels of ammonia into the water. The best practice is to remove any dead shrimp from the water as soon as possible. If you catch them before they turn pink, they usually still work well as fresh dead bait.”

When it comes to best practices for keeping shrimp and croaker alive while on the water, Alexander suggests anglers fill their livewells or bait storage containers with water from her marina, or whatever bait stand they purchase live bait from.

“Our water is cooler than what is in the bay this time of year, plus it contains some chemical additives that promote higher oxygen levels to keep the shrimp and croaker in good shape,” she said. “After filling their livewell with water and live bait from our marina, I encourage folks to use a bubbler-type aerator system, or one that only recirculates the water that is already inside the well or container where they are storing their bait.”

Alexander said pumping in new water from bay will certainly increase the temperature inside the livewell, and change the

Toledo top-water

By Robert Sloan For Lone Star outdoor newS

Located on the Texas-Louisiana border, Toledo Bend is known for its bass and crappie fishing. But with plenty of cypress trees, willows, stump fields, log laydowns and aquatic vegetation from lily pads to hydrilla, the lake is gaining popularity among fly-fishermen.

Anglers believe freshwater lakes, like Braunig and Calaveras, have more redfish with multiple spots than the waters along the coast. Clint Jermolajevs caught this redfish on Braunig. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Toledo Bend Reservoir is a favorite destination for fly anglers. Phil Brannon caught this largemouth in a creek on a popper. Photo by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Don’t mix live bait in your livewell Photo by David Sweet, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Bowfishing for sheepshead

By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Most anglers targeting sheepshead will dip a shrimp by an enticing vertical structure. However, a pair of Rio Grande Valley fishermen prefer to take a more aggressive approach, employing a bow, an arrow and a reel.

North of the mouth of the Arroyo Colorado, Isaac Ramirez and Wally Garcia went out for sheepshead and came back with three, each measuring about 20 inches — good-sized

Speckled trout bite good down south

By Nate Skinner

For Lone Star outdoor newS

Speckled trout have settled into their heat-of-the-summer patterns along our coastal bay systems. While numbers of fish can be found over shallow flats during the early morning hours, most specks have been moving out to deeper water shortly after the sun breaches the horizon. The most consistent trout bite is occurring along the lower coast, while estuaries farther north seem to be producing spotty action.

Matagorda area angler Jacob Zemanek has been pursuing speckled trout in East Matagorda Bay, primarily wade-fishing along the south shoreline or targeting stretches of clean water in the northern half of the bay when the wind has allowed. He says while the fishing can be good right now, it’s inconsistent.

“It’s kind of been feast or famine,” he said. “Some days it seems you can stumble across a solid school of fish and really stick with them. On other days, you have to be willing to wade long stretches in between bites.”

According to Zemanek, the best action has been occurring early in the morning and quickly dying off a few hours after sunrise. Sand flats with scattered shell and grass and adjacent to slight drop-offs and depth changes have held the most fish.

Zemanek has been catching trout in knee-deep to waist-deep water, on top-wa-

range, but he’s occasionally boating trout over 25 inches.

Tournament angler Colton Knipling has been chasing specks in Port O’Connor, where he’s been wading along shallow bars and shell early in the morning. Later in the day, he’s been targeting isolated sand pockets in waist-deep water.

Top-water baits have been producing strikes for Knipling at first light, but he’s been switching over to chunking soft plastics soon after sunrise.

“It doesn’t take the trout long to push out to deeper water and hunker down on the bottom after the sun comes up,” Knipling said. “Most of the fish have been in the 18- to 22-inch range, with a few stretching to 24-25 inches mixed in. The bigger trout have been hanging out alongside pods of

Tough day for surf anglers

By Tony Vindell

For Lone Star outdoor n

It was perhaps the longest surf fishing tourna ment held along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The South Texas Anglers Tournament, a non profit event, stretched some 30 miles from the South Padre Island jetty on one end to the Port Mansfield jetty on the other.

But out of nearly 100 participating anglers, only two brought fish to the weigh-in held at the White Sands Restaurant on Port Isabel.

Naturally, the two anglers, Valient Rodriguez and Issac Flores, took first and second places, re spectively.

Rodriguez caught an 18-inch speckled trout while Flores’ speck measured only 17 inches.

No redfish or black drum came to the scales dur ing the eight-hour event, perplexing event orga nizers.

“Two fish,” Richard Hitchcox said in disbelief. “Those two trout were it?”

Officials deposited all the unspent prize money

Isaac Ramirez arrowed this sheepshead with a crossbow near a floating cabin’s pilings. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Early morning has been the best time to fish for speckled trout, while the fish are in shallower water.

Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Valient Rodriguez, with his winning trout, was one of only a few to bring in a keeper-sized fish at the South Texas Anglers Tournament.

Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 86 degrees; 2.82’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair night fishing under green lights and on minnows over brush.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 85-89 degrees; 48.98’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on Ned rigs, Carolina rigs and wacky rigs. White bass and stripers are fair on spoons, blades and downriggers with swimbaits. Channel catfish are good on prepared baits.

ARLINGTON: Water lightly stained; 95-104 degrees; 5.63’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on jigging spoons and live bait. Catfish are good on cut bait.

ATHENS: Water clear; 92 degrees; 0.20’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky head worms and spinner baits. Crappie are fair at night on minnows. Bluegill are good on crickets.

AUSTIN: Water lightly stained; 85-89 degrees; 0.63’ low. Largemouth bass and white bass are fair on Ned rigs and drop shots.

B.A. STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 83 degrees; 25.54’ low. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on small crankbaits and Texas-rigged soft plastics.

BASTROP: Water lightly stained; 90-94 degrees.

Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, grub and drop shots.

BELTON: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 14.42’ low. White bass are fair on slabs and pet spoons. Catfish are good on shad.

BENBROOK: Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.22’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs and small minnows.

BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas- or Carolina-rigged worms, jigs and shaky heads.

BRAUNIG: Water lightly stained, 91 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and spinner baits. Red drum are good on live tilapia, small silver spoons and frozen shrimp.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 87 degrees; 9.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and finesse baits. White bass are fair when surfacing on lipless crankbaits.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on prepared baits and cut shad.

BROWNWOOD: Water lightly stained; 86-88 degrees; 5.55’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, glide baits, crankbaits and soft plastic worms. Crappie are slow. White bass are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on juglines and trotlines.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 85-92 degrees; 18.11’ low. Largemouth bass

are fair on crankbaits and Texas-rigged soft plastics.

CADDO: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.84’ high. Largemouth bass are good on white frogs, white swim jigs and small swimbaits.

CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained, 88 degrees. Red drum are good on live bait, crayfish and dark soft plastics. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.

CANYON: Water clear; 88 degrees; 13.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, craws and worms.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.23’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on 10-inch worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrids are good on silver slabs.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 85-87 degrees; 24.64’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are slow.

CONROE: Water stained; 91 degrees; 0.29’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on shallow crankbaits, swimbaits and Carolina rigs. Hybrid striped bass are fair trolling pet spoons and on slabs. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Water stained; 87 degrees; 4.66’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. White bass are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait and cheese bait.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 87 degrees; 5.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs with teaser flies and small top-waters. Crappie are fair on white/chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.

FALCON: Water stained; 85-89 degrees; 39.45’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits and craws. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are slow.

FAYETTE: Water stained; 90 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on drop shots and Carolina- or Texas-rigged soft plastics. Catfish are good on cut bait.

FORK: Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.24’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on chatter baits, spinner baits and drop shots. Crappie are fair on minnows.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 87-89 degrees; 4.26’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and black/blue senkos. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and prepared baits.

GRANBURY: Water lightly stained; 86-92 degrees;

0.11’ low. Striped bass are good on live bait, trolling umbrella rigs and downrigging jigs. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on spinner baits and slabs. Catfish are fair at night on cut bait.

GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits fished over hydrilla. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass are fair on slab spoons. Blue catfish are good on shad.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 85-87 degrees; 1.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and soft plastics. White bass are fair on jigging spoons and slabs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 88-91 degrees; 0.33’ low. Largemouth are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 85-88 degrees; 9.24’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on spoons. Blue catfish are fair on trotlines and juglines.

JACKSONVILLE: Water clear; 89 degrees; 0.40’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 88 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are good on finesse jigs with a craw trailer and Texas-rigged worms or creatures.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 86 degrees; 1.42 high. Largemouth bass area fair on worms, jigs and shaky heads. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cheese bait.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees; 0.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Texas-rigged motor oil worms and swim jigs. Crappie are good on jigs. White bass are good on white or chartreuse slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LBJ: Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.31’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water lightly stained; 85-88 degrees; 0.89’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are fair on slabs, jigs, and live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good drifting cut shad or chicken breasts.

LIMESTONE: Water clear; 88-91 degrees; 1.10’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are excellent on minnows. White bass are good on silver jigging spoons, crankbaits and swimbaits.

Catfish are good on cut bait and minnows.

LIVINGSTON: Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.27’ low. Striped bass are slow. White bass are excellent on spinner baits and slabs.

MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 96 degrees; 1.00’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on plum flukes and worms. Crappie are good on shad jigs. Catfish are fair drifting nightcrawlers.

MEREDITH: Water stained; 83 degrees; 43.28’ low.

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

MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 80 degrees; 6.89’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. White bass are good trolling slabs. Blue and channel catfish are good on juglines.

NACOGDOCHES: Water clear; 86-89 degrees; 1.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters early. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows.

NACONICHE: Water lightly stained; 89 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on small shad imitation lures. Catfish are slow.

NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 84 degrees. 1.19’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white chatter baits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.12’ low. Crappie are good on jigs tipped with minnows. Catfish are slow.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 85-89 degrees; 25.82’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are good on live bait. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 87 degrees; 13.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. Blue, yellow and channel catfish are good on juglines baited with cut shad or perch.

PALESTINE: Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.39’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and split tail plastics. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and live shad.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water clear; 86-90 degrees; 0.15’ low. Striped bass are good om live bait and spoons. White bass are fair on top-waters when surfacing. Catfish are

slow. PROCTOR: Water stained; 86-89 degrees; 10.25’ low. White bass are good on jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on jigs tipped with minnows.

RAVEN: Water clear; 87 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on shad plastics and chrome lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait and prepared baits.

RAY HUBBARD: Water lightly stained; 84-86 degrees; 0.81’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are good on small top-waters and inline spinners. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on prepared baits.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 87 degrees; 0.27’ low. Largemouth bass are good on drop shots. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 85-87 degrees; 0.67’ low. White bass are slow. Hybrids are fair on live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Blue and channel catfish are fair on shad and punch bait.

SAM

RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 88-90 degrees; 1.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on prepared baits.

SOMERVILLE: Water clear; 89 degrees; 1.09’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are excellent trolling pet spoons. Catfish are good on shad, cut bait and nightcrawlers.

SPENCE: Water stained; 86 degrees. 45.62’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and plastic worms. White bass are fair on jigs and spoons. Catfish are fair on cut shad and worms.

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW: Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 15.01’ low. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastics and flukes. White bass are fair to good downrigging slabs.

TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.19’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters. White bass and striped bass are good on live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are excellent on prepared baits.

TEXANA: Water stained; 85 degrees; 2.03’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows.

TEXOMA: Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.08’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are good on top-waters, slabs and live bait. Crappie

n Guide reports Page 11

n Saltwater reports Page 19

are slow. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 79-83 degrees; 1.59’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, frogs and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on small minnows. White bass are good on crankbaits and spoons. TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 85-88 degrees; 44.57’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and crawfish imitation lures.

TWIN BUTTES: Water stained; 87 degrees; 25.67’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters and Texasrigged worms. White bass are fair on top-waters and shallow running lures. Crappie are slow. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait.

TYLER: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.39’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on trick worms and spinner baits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and stink bait.

WACO: Water stained; 85 degrees; 8.32’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on jigs tipped with minnows.

WALTER E. LONG: Water stained; 87 degrees; 1.00’ high. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on frogs and Texas-rigged worms.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 5.04’ low. Striped bass are good on swimbaits, live bait and cut bait.

WORTH: Water stained; 85 degrees; 2.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on white jigs. Catfish are good on punch bait.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 85 degrees; 3.40’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. White bass are good on tail spinners. Catfish are slow.

—TPWD

703-pound marlin at Lone Star Shootout

By Robert Sloan

For Lone Star outdoor newS

It was boiling hot at the Lone Star Shoot out weigh-in July 22, but hundreds of folks were on hand to see what the big sportfish ing boats had caught during a tournament put on by the Houston Big Game Fishing Club.

But when the crew aboard Desperado backed into the Fishing Center slip to weigh in what they had caught, the crowd fell quiet.

The El Patron boat had just weighed a blue marlin at 447 pounds. The crowd liked what they saw, but what the Despera do crew had iced down in the cockpit blew everyone away.

It took 10 grown men to move the huge marlin out of the ice bag and to the stern so the weigh-in winch could be looped around the forked tail. When the scales settled, the marlin weighed a whopping 703 pounds.

The crowd went wild, and this fish would go on to win the tournament, one of the most popular along the Texas coast.

Capt. Andy Hallen was at the helm of the winning boat, a 55-foot Viking sport fisher, which elected to bump-troll big live baits. At this tourney, yellowfin tuna was the most effective live bait choice among anglers.

“It’s tough to beat a live bait when you are after big marlin,” Hallen said. “We used Sabiki jigs to catch most of our live bait. Lures will work, but if you are after the big ones, live bait can’t be beat.”

Instead of using a regular bridle rig, the team opted to use a Bridle-Buddy that reduces stress on the baits. It locks into place on the roof of the bait’s mouth. Once the bait was rigged and ready to go, they tossed it in off the stern and bumpedtrolled at 3.5-5 knots. The reels were set with 18-pound test drags. But after hooking the fish, they bumped the drag up to 35 pounds.

“This big marlin swallowed the 6-pound yellowfin tuna whole,” Hallen said. “After about 15 seconds, the angler, Dane Braun, set the hook and it took two and a half hours to get her to the boat. The wire man was Ryan Doxey, he really did a great job at wearing the marlin out.”

They spent the entire tournament at the Diana, a floater rig about 130 miles offshore, bump-trolling in about 4,000 feet of water. They caught one other marlin weighing about 350 pounds and lost a third one.

The three heaviest marlin brought in at this tournament weighed 703, 576.5 and 447.5 pounds. The top four yellowfin tuna weighed 67, 55, 50.5 and 47.5 pounds.

Bass on fly

Continued from page 8

One angler that has tapped into this beautiful lake is guide Steve Stubbe. He’s been fishing T-Bend for around 20 years and has been an Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing guide for the past seven.

Stubbe takes his clients to a stretch of the lake that’s more than 60 miles long. He runs a Gator Tail boat that’s just over 17 feet long.

“With that boat I can go to places most fishermen wouldn’t even think about fishing,” Stubbe said. “I like to fish in the creeks. Sometimes I will be way up a creek, but there are days when I’ll fish the mouth of a creek, as well. The creeks draw a lot of baitfish and game fish.”

Throughout the year, Stubbe and his clients will be catching largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, catfish, chain pickerel, gar, bowfin, carp, striped and white bass — all on flies.

“We have a good variety of fish,” the guide said. “Most of the time we use 8- to 10-weight fly rods. I make my own flies, and rods. I use mostly 10- to 12-inch flies for bass. My go-to fly on most days is a

FISHING REPORTS FROM THE GUIDES

Stripers schooling on Texoma: Steve Barnes at txfishingguide.com said stripers are schooling from the surface down to about 30 feet deep. His clients are catching fish on slabs, swim baits and trolling umbrella rigs. He suggests using glow and chartreuse glitter colors. “The key is finding active fish that are schooled up. The schools move fast but don’t be that guy that wakes all the other boats trying to get to the fish.”

Find the right combination on Twin Buttes: Michael Peterson of 4 Reel Fun Guide Service reports landing good limits of channel catfish in the north pool, as the south pool is inaccessible due to low water levels. He said tight-lining prepared baits in 15-18 feet of water is the method producing best for his clients. “There’s definitely a thermocline, so where you can find rocks with heavy brush around it in that depth range you will do better.”

Falcon fishing tough: James Bendele of falconlake.com reports the bass fishing is slow. He said the fish that can be caught are hitting slow-moving plastics fished about 10-20 feet deep. He believes the amount of baitfish in the water is really affecting the bite. “It’s tough, other than white bass. I’ve fished here more than 50 years and never seen the amount of 2-inch tilapia in the water all over the lake.”

The two heaviest wahoo weighed 36 and 32 pounds. The top three dorado weighed 34, 29 and 25 pounds.

One miscalculation in this tourney cost a boat about $50,000. They had the heaviest wahoo — about a 40-pounder — but ran out of fuel roughly six miles from the POC jetties and didn’t make it in to weigh the catch in regulation time.

Leaderboard:

Tournament Champion

Quantified 3700 points

Billfish Release

Quantified 3700 points

Blue Marlin Desperado 703 pounds

Draggin’ Up 576.5 pounds

El Patron 447.5 pounds

Dolphin

True Story 34 pounds

Wahoo Say When 36 pounds

Tuna

Big Torch 67 pounds

Female Angler

Deez Nautz 1250 points

Junior Angler Walk West 750 points

Stealth Goober. It’s kind of like a Dahlberg Diver. Some of the best colors are cockroach, black, green and a combination of yellow and orange. Those are big flies, but when I’m in a creek that has a lot of brush, it’s important to keep the fly up shallow.”

Stubbe said the bigger bass are often about 5-10 feet deep and the bottom is loaded with all sorts of brush.

“That’s why it’s best to fish a fly 1-2 feet deep,” he said.

Stubbe caught his heaviest bass at TBend — 6.5 pounds — on a Stealth Goober. While he will occasionally use poppers, he still prefers to fish flies that quietly snake through the water.

“People who come to fish with me can bring their own gear,” Stubbe said. “But we offer them a chance to use our rods made in our shop. We also give newcomers to the world of fly-fishing a chance to learn how to fish with good equipment. When they leave here, they will know how to fish with a fly rod. We make it a point to do it the right way, and pass that on to our customers.”

The Desperado team brought in the winning marlin, at 703 pounds, in the Lone Star Shootout at Port O’Connor. Photo from Andy Hallen.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

CRANE HUNTING WITHOUT PERMISSION

During the sandhill crane season, a landowner contacted a Gaines and Andrews County warden regarding a group of people hunting cranes without consent. The warden determined the group was involved in a guided hunt through an outfitting service. After interviewing all hunters and guides, the warden determined the head outfitter and owner of the service were criminally responsible for each person for illegally hunting on the property. Howard obtained signed non-consent affidavits, as the landowner wished to file for each person that was present. The warden spoke with the head outfitter who was not present in the field and obtained a confession that he instructed his guides to hunt that area. A total of 11 arrest warrants were issued for hunting sandhill cranes without consent. The suspect was taken into custody at the Gaines County Jail, and restitution on 33 sandhill cranes is pending.

FLOATING LOG CAPSIZES FISHING BOAT

In Trinity County, a boater called 911 reporting his boat was sinking. A Trinity County game warden contacted the boater, advising him to put on a life jacket. The boater dropped a pin for his location, and

BUSY WEEKEND ON THE WATER

Over the Fourth of July holiday, Texas game wardens issued 1,521 citations and 1,891 warnings for various boating safety laws. Wardens also arrested 56 individuals for Boating While Intoxicated and filed four other charges for Driving While Intoxicated. An additional 36 individuals were arrested for a variety of other charges. Wardens also conducted multiple search and rescues over the holiday weekend and assisted with 18 boating accidents at several Texas lakes and rivers. On Lake Palestine, wardens observed a dock fire started by fireworks and were able to extinguish the blaze before major damage occurred. In Comal County, wardens located a missing swimmer 125 yards offshore swimming outside of the designated area. The swimmer was exhausted and requested a ride back to shore where he was united with family and friends. On Lake Travis, wardens helped locate a missing 7-year-old female who was found safely with a friend. TPWD aviation assisted game wardens in Zavala, Uvalde and Real counties patrolling the Nueces River for riverbed enforcement activities. Wardens also handled one boating fatality and five open-water fatalities on Texas waterways.

the warden launched the patrol vessel and found the boater quickly. When the warden arrived, the man was hanging on the top bow of the boat, while half of the boat was submerged. The boater was assisted in the warden’s boat, and the boater’s vessel then became completely submerged. The warden tied a bowline to a nearby tree to save the vessel. A pontoon arrived to assist towing the upside-down vessel to the boat ramp. An ice

chest with fish and a few fishing rods were recovered. The boater explained that due to the recent rains, the river was swift with lots of floating trees. While he was fishing, a huge floating tree came over his motor pushing the back of the vessel underwater.

CATFISH WITH A FISH SHOCKER

On the Neches River, a Tyler County game warden encountered an unregistered flat bottom vessel

approaching. Once given a hand signal to stop, three adults on the approaching vessel recognized him as a warden and immediately stood up and appeared to throw a long wire overboard. The suspects initially denied throwing a wire and claimed to have thrown an undersized flathead catfish. Observing the rest of the catfish on board, Mann noticed that none of the catch had a hole or hook mark in their mouth. A search of the vessel

SPONSORED BY:

revealed a “Gizmo” fish shocker in the pocket of a suspect. The violator confessed the shocker was his and using it to shock the fish. A call to dispatch revealed the suspect also violated parole and had a warrant. The fish were released, and the violator was booked into the Tyler County Jail.

DEER SHOT OUT OF SEASON, NEXT TO ANOTHER’S HOUSE

A complainant heard a gunshot coming from a county road next to his house and contacted a Karnes County game warden. The witness indicated he drove to the area where the shot originated, they located a man lying on the ground next to a dead deer. After yelling at the man, the man got up and ran into the brush. The warden coordinated with sheriff’s deputies and witness to identify and locate the subject. When interviewed, the subject said after partaking in a couple of beers, he shot the deer for food. Citations were issued and the deer was donated to the witness.

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

Big Port A tourney

Continued from page 1

doing the whole process,” Goodman said. “It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun at the same time.”

This year’s victors were the anglers aboard Rebecca, who led the way in points as Tournament Grand Champions and were also atop the Overall Billfish list with the most accumulated points during the two-and-a-half-day event. They accumulated enough to earn just under $200,000 in prize money.

What makes the tournament unique is the 100-mile “fence” that creates a boundary for competing boats.

“The point of doing that is kind of twofold,” Goodman said. “One, we wanted to appeal to everybody, and we didn’t want to leverage the most expensive, biggest, fastest boats. We wanted

Arrowing sheepies

Continued from page 9

sheepshead, as the legal size begins at 15 inches.

Although the sheepshead run peaks in March and April, anglers can find them all year in smaller numbers.

The two work their way around wooden pilings of fishing cabins built along the Laguna Madre, as well as rocky areas adjacent to jetties or bridges.

During an early morning trip, the two only spent a few minutes near their reliable pilings before Ramirez sent a whooshing echo across the water and an arrow beneath.

“I got one!” Ramirez said. “This one has some good size.” Minutes later, the same sound repeated, but this time paired with a clean miss. The routine continued, on and off until about 11 a.m. when it was time to go before the heat became unbearable.

After bowfishing long enough to find a rhythm, Ramirez has learned how to increase his efficiency. But the nontraditional method wasn’t something he picked up in his first outing.

“It takes a lot of patience more than anything else,” he said.

Ramirez learned the sport from Garcia, a seasoned bowhunter from Harlingen, who switched to bowfishing decades ago.

Garcia and a friend, Michael Guajardo, discovered the sport while fishing with a rod and reel. He said they started catching carp with a small bow along area canals and later along the South Padre Island jetty on clear days.

Garcia said good bowfishing equipment is a must, followed by lots of practice.

“You really have to develop an instinct to look for fish around you,” he said.

the Bertram 31s (a ‘70s-era, smallsized fishing boat) to be able to compete as well. Also, we wanted to limit how far people could run. That way, it’s not about who’s faster or who can run farther. It’s about, ‘Who’s a better fisherman?’”

That elbows-to-elbows format, pitting the competitors against each other in a close-to-home vicinity, evens the playing field and makes for a better tournament altogether, at least according to those who’ve participated. The 40-boat limit has been reached each year, and 90-95 percent are pre-registered ahead of schedule, reinforcing the interest in a tournament of this stature in Port Aransas.

In fact, the Billfish Pachanga emerged for its first year just af-

ter a long-running sportfishing tournament in the Gulf of Mexico called it quits and left a gap in the calendar. It was perfect timing for the emerging success of a smallbut-promising event.

“Luckily, because we have the venue, we were able to kind of scrap it together at first,” Goodman said. “Each year we’re learning from the year before and improving. It seems to be getting bigger and better every year.”

In addition to the main competition, Goodman and his team also put on a small Piggy Perch dock fishing tournament for kids under 12, which is completely free. Bait, tackle, rods and reels are provided and it’s a fun way for those who aren’t actively fishing in the tournament to get in on the action. Also, a post-event pri-

vate concert for participants and their guests caps things off each year. The 2023 concert saw performances by Charlie Robison and Jason Boland and the Stragglers.

The organizers donate all the money raised to several meaningful causes, including the Billfish Foundation, the Port Aransas Scholarship Fund, and the Harte Research Institute for Sportfish Science at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi.

To help contribute to the Harte Institute’s tagging efforts, the tournament gave each participating boat 10 tags (and an extra incentive of a percentage of the pot) to attach to billfish. Rebecca wound up applying all 10 of their tags, which contributed to 38 total billfish tagged during the tournament — more than the Harte Institute is

able to tag in a typical year.

“It couldn’t have worked out better,” Goodman said. “It’s neat to be able to see something that creates value for somebody else.”

2023

Tournament Grand Champions

1 Rebecca 1868 points

2 Backlash 1304 points

3 Poured Out 1300 points

4 Vamonos-Clement 1161 points

5 Ambush 905 points

Conoly Cliburn caught his first redfish (29 inches) on his 8th birthday, June 22, near Corpus Christi Bay.

Guy George shows a blackbuck he shot at the G2 Ranch.

Masen Rudy Silva, 9, caught the best redfish of his life with a gold spoon while out fishing with his brothers at Holly Beach in Laguna Vista. The fish measured 26 1/2 inches.

Grayson Hogue, a 16-year-old from Midlothian, was happy with her small nighttime catch while fishing in Corpus Christi with her family.

Conor Harrison took a black bear in British Columbia with his bow. Harrison was the former managing editor of Lone Star Outdoor News and is now the director of communications at Dallas Safari Club.

Fresh bait

Continued from page 8

chemical makeup of the water from what the bait is used to. This could ultimately result in shrimp or croaker dying before they ever see a hook.

Baytown area fishing guide Capt. Ken Terry primarily sets his anglers up to fish with live shrimp which he keeps in a cooler rigged with a bubbler system. On his way to the boat ramp each morning prior to a fishing trip, Terry places a bag of ice inside the cooler. Once he launches his boat from the marina, he removes the bag of ice and places it in a different ice chest for fish that will be kept.

“When I add live shrimp to my bait cooler, the box is cool from the bag of ice I had in it,” Terry explained. “I will also add a frozen water bottle or two in with the shrimp to continue to keep the water cool.”

Terry said opening and closing the lid to a livewell or live bait cooler will increase the water temperature over time. He likes to use a smaller cooler or bucket to hold a handful of shrimp he can easily grab when it’s time to re-bait a hook, as it helps him minimize the number of times he’s opening the lid to his main live bait box.

Slow day

Continued from page 9 in a bank account for 2024. Each species carried a prize of $500, $400 and $200 for the top three spots.

Valient’s father, Joe, said fishing this year was one of the hardest times for his team of three.

“We fished from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.” he said. “Only my son (Valient) caught a fish.”

That was the trout the young Rodriguez caught using a lure within the first 15 minutes. The trout was so skinny Rodriguez thought about letting it go, thinking it

Upper coast angler Harrison Cohen said his strategy for keeping shrimp and croaker alive on his boat really depends on where he’s fishing. If he’s hitting the same bay system where he purchased his bait, he likes to constantly recirculate new water from the bay into his livewell, and keeps frozen bottles or jugs in the well at all times to keep the water cool.

“If I purchase bait at one location, but then trailer my boat to a different bay system, I prefer to use a bubbler system to aerate the water I got from the bait stand to keep the bait alive,” Cohen said. “Adding water from a different estuary than where the shrimp or croaker came from is going to change the salinity and chemical makeup of the water in the livewell compared to what they have been living in. This could ultimately cause the bait to die.”

There are many types of aeration and livewell systems out there, but it seems most anglers have steered away from using oxygen bottle systems. Most are using traditional bubbler systems or devices that recirculate water or pump new water in.

Early-morning specks

Continued from page 9

redfish.”

Down in Corpus Christi, fishing guide Capt. Caleb Sumrall has been setting his anglers up with live croaker to catch trout along the Upper Laguna Madre. He said fish in the 17to 23-inch keeper slot range have been pretty scattered.

“I’m really having to cover several areas to catch keeper-sized specks,” he said. “Some days they hit the croaker really well, and on other days, they can be pretty finicky.”

Bouncing from spot to spot in search of grass and sand pockets in 4-5 feet of water has been the most productive for Sumrall lately.

“There are a ton of small trout out there in the 15- to 17-inch range,” Sumrall said. “You really just have to grind through the smaller ones and cover water to catch the bigger fish. We are catching a lot fish in the 18- to 22-inch range, with at least two or three fish over 23 inches brought to the boat each trip. Most of the larger trout are pretty skinny right now.”

wasn’t good enough for a tournament prize.

From then on, no one caught another fish.

The Rodriguez team said quite a few others were fishing near the island jetty but left empty-handed.

Another group of nine anglers went all the way to the Port Mansfield jetty but none of them caught a keeper.

On a brighter note, seven youths participated in the tournament, and each won a prize for bringing a whiting to the weigh-in.

Port Mansfield area fishing guide Capt. Josh Garza reported an excellent bite on the Lower Laguna Madre as of late. He said focusing on areas north of the harbor with heavy grass and scatter sand pockets adjacent to chest-deep water has been the ticket.

“Here recently, it has been pretty normal for a group anglers to go out and collectively catch upward of 100 small trout in the 15- to 16-inch range on soft plastic jigs,” Garza said. “Within these schools of smaller specks, we are also catching good numbers of fish in the 17- to 20-inch range, and an occasional trout over 23 inches long.”

Garza said surface action has been limited in his go-to spots, as the trout have been hunkering down in the seagrass and staying tight to the bottom. Soft plastics in plum and natural colors have been drawing the most strikes in current conditions.

Capt. Josh Garza landed this this 28-inch speck over a grass flat near the edge of some deeper water along the Lower Laguna Madre, north of Port Mansfield. Photo from Capt. Josh Garza.

Georgetown gun store

Continued

with Mesquite Creek Outfitters, a retail store that featured a craft beer bar and a wine bar in the front, and later opened The Golden Rule, a restaurant and bourbon bar.

“We’d been wanting to do a gun store for four or five years down here,” he said. “We were just waiting for the right opportunity.”

Carefully scattered across the store are mementos of Hirt’s journey, such as the mantle that came from a mature tree that fell during the ice storm that plagued central Texas in 2022, or the world-record white bison mount casually looming in the southeast corner.

Top-shelf firearm brands like Fausti, Beretta, Franchi and Browning grace the gun rack, accompanying one another like gentlemen — an atmosphere Hirt was determined to capture.

“We wanted those heirloom pieces that you want to pass down from generation

to generation,” he said. “While Academy and Bass Pro Shops are great for getting the things you need, we wanted to be the next step up. We wanted this to become a destination.”

Each of Hirt’s Georgetown staples feel connected to one another via rugged, American themes: beer, bourbon and freedom. But if you asked Hirt himself, he’ll tell you the connection is the community he chose to call home for the last 20 years.

“We’ve been here since ’03 and have just fallen in love with Georgetown,” he said. “It’s a community made of people that are very similar to where I was raised — people that support you, want to help you, care about you. I’ve lived all over Texas and I’ve never seen that type of community anywhere except in the farming community I was raised in and, of course, Georgetown.”

River and Ranch Provisions opened in April of 2022 in downtown Georgetown.

Photo by David Schlake, Lone Star Outdoor News.

LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER

Solution on Page 22

Sales agency for Jacob Grey

Jacob Grey Firearms retained Outdoor Outfitters Group as a manufacturer sales representative for the central United States.

S&W deal with Orion

Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. entered into a new distribution partnership with Orion Wholesale.

Prop facility expands

Yamaha Marine Precision Propellers added a 110,000-square-foot expansion at its Greenfield, Indiana, facility and plans to add 200 employees.

Drake hires Outtech

Outtech Sales Services was retained by Drake Waterfowl Systems as the company’s sales agency.

New sales division hires

PRADCO Outdoor Brand’s Hunting Division named Heath Stanford as director of sales and Jimmy Smith as national sales manager.

Al’s Goldfish Lure sold

Fin Rage Tackle LLC, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has acquired Al’s Goldfish Lure Company.

Three new execs at Daniel Defense

Daniel Defense announced Daniel Richmond will assume the role of Chief Revenue Officer; Jake Cason was appointed chief financial officer; and Dave Everett was named vice president of product and engineering.

Agency for Huskemaw

Huskemaw Long Range Optics retained Urge Media as its marketing agency.

Rapala owns majority stake in DQC International

Rapala VMC Corporation reached an agreement to increase its ownership of DQC International to 60 percent of the Floridabased company, consolidating the 13 Fishing rod and reel brand into its global product offering.

ACROSS

5) Texas’ state dog (two words)

7) It’s not the heat, it’s the ____

9) Rifle brand

11) Riflescope brand

12) Spinner bait blade type

13) Shotshell brand

14) Fishing TV host

15) Red-dot optics brand

17) A setter

19) An African game species

20) A merganser

22) Good bass lure

25) DFW-area lak

26) West Texas lake (two words)

29) Trout species

30) Fastest African cat

31) Giddings’ county

32) Turkey call type 34) A sunfish 35) San Marcos’ county 36) Fishing lure brand 37) A group of beaver 38) Crankbait brand 39) Real County’s seat

Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News

DOWN

1) A Great Lake

2) Zambia’s capital

3) One of Leopold’s five tools

4) Fishing line brand

6) An exotic species

8) San Antonio-area lake

9) Sinker type (two words)

10) An offshore target

13) Ammo brand

16) Good redfish bait

18) Protects the wader from stingrays

21) The fisherman’s sunglasses

22) East Texas lake

23) Texas has 254 of these

24) South Texas river

27) Central Texas lake

28) Houston area lake

33) Hunting boot brand

35) The female mallard

37) Hog dog breed

Striped bass with tarragon

4-6 striped bass fillets

4 tbsps. butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

5 green onions, chopped

3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper

In skillet, melt butter and add garlic, onion, parsley and tarragon. Simmer lightly but do not brown. Season fish with salt and pepper, saute in butter mixture 2-4 minutes on each side. Place fish on warm serving dish. Remove skillet with butter mixture and allow to cool for 1 minute. Add lemon juice and reheat briefly and pour over fish.

—NC Wildlife Resource Commission

Simple stuffed deer peppers

2 lbs. ground venison

1 lb. ground pork

1 onion, minced

1 egg

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup minute rice

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

6 large green peppers, cut in half

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans water

Salt and pepper

Brown onion, garlic, ground venison and pork. Mix all ingredients except tomato soup and water. Stuff meat mixture in green peppers. Place in roasting pan. Pour 2 cans of tomato soup and 2 cans of water over stuffed green peppers. Bake 1.5-2 hours at 350 degrees.

—Pennsylvania Wildlife Commission

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

SABINE LAKE: 83 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good on live shrimp under a popping cork and glo chartreuse plastics.

BOLIVAR: 81 degrees. Black drum and redfish are fair to good on cut bait and live shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on shrimp under a popping cork.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 85 degrees. Redfish are fair on cut mullet. Speckled trout and redfish are fair drifting with live shrimp and artificials.

PORT O’CONNOR: 80 degrees. Black drum are good on dead shrimp. Bull redfish are good from the back of the jetties to Bird Island on Spanish sardines. Speckled trout are fair to good on live croaker.

ROCKPORT: 88 degrees. Redfish are good on paddle tails and top-waters. Speckled trout are on artificials and live bait.

TRINITY BAY: 88 degrees. Redfish and black drum are fair on shrimp under a popping cork.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: 88 degrees.

Speckled trout and redfish are slow to fair on shrimp imitation lures under popping corks and shrimp under a popping cork.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: 89 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair wading and drifting with croaker.

TEXAS CITY: 86 degrees. Redfish at the Texas City Dike are slow. Speckled trout are fair at night on shrimp and soft plastics.

FREEPORT: 86 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good drifting with live shrimp under a popping cork.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 85 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair drifting with live shrimp, artificials and wading with croaker.

PORT ARANSAS: 89 degrees. Bull redfish are good at the jetties on live and cut mullet, menhaden and piggy perch. Speckled trout are fair on croaker.

CORPUS CHRISTI: 89 degrees. Speckled trout and black drum are fair on shrimp and croaker. Redfish are fair on cut mullet.

BAFFIN BAY: 91 degrees. Redfish are fair on gold and silver spoons in grass. Speck led trout are fair on light-colored paddle tails and croaker.

PORT MANSFIELD: 88-91 degrees. Speck led trout and redfish are slow to fair on small soft plastics.

SOUTH PADRE: 86 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair to good in the Intracoastal and flats on shrimp.

—TPWD

Must

be entered

$150

TENNESSEE Jim Scouten dies

Longtime “Shooting USA” host and outdoor celebrity Jim Scoutten, 77, died in Franklin following a brief illness.

A Newton, Iowa native, Scoutten was a well-known and respected figure in the shooting industry, serving as the longtime host of “Shooting USA.” As managing editor of Tier One Media, LLC, he created two of the most successful cable television shows on Outdoor Channel. In 2018, the 25th year of his shooting sports TV career, Scoutten was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.

His sign-off slogan after each show was, “As always, shoot safely, shoot often, and keep ‘em in the 10 ring.”

—Staff report

LOUISIANA Redfish limit changes may be coming

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission adopted a Notice of Intent to change the red drum size limit from a 16-inch minimum size limit and a 27-inch maximum size limit to an 18-inch minimum size limit total length and a 24-inch maximum size limit total length. The red drum’s daily take and possession limit will be reduced from five to three fish per day.

Additionally, the retention of any red drum above the maximum size limit of 24 inches total length and the retention of red drum by captain and crew on charter or head boats will be prohibited. Charter guides and crew will not be allowed to retain red drum toward any limit on the vessel.

The proposed changes result from biological data that indicate the red drum stock is experiencing overfishing resulting in an escapement rate below the 30 percent minimum limit, leading to a declining biomass.

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Escapement is the percentage of red drum passing through the recreational fishery from inshore waters as juveniles and make it into the spawning stock offshore. The established escapement rate limit for management is 30 percent; Louisiana’s escapement rate is currently 20 percent, indicating too few red drum are surviving to make it offshore and eventually to spawn.

—LDFW

MINNESOTA No lead in state areas

Minnesota will require nontoxic ammunition for most special hunts held in state parks and scientific and natural areas starting this fall.

The state park hunt requirement was set to go into effect in 2022 but was delayed due to the Department of Natural Resources’ assessment that supply chain issues had limited nontoxic ammunition options for hunters.

The nontoxic requirements will apply to both rifle bullets and shotgun pellets. Hunting is allowed only on 56 of the state’s 166 scientific and natural areas.

—Staff report

MICHIGAN HS clay shooting championships

Athletes and teams representing 466 high schools from across the nation participated at the 2023 USA High School Clay Target League National Championship July 5-10 held at the Michigan Trapshooting Association in Mason.

In the Team Final, Calhoun High School (Illinois) took home title of National Team Champion. It was Calhoun High School’s third consecutive National Team Championship.

The Sunday Individual Final saw 19 athletes shooting perfect scores at the end of regular competition. Those 19 went on to compete in a shoot-off, which saw recent graduate Landon Sievers, also from Calhoun High School, persevere to claim the Overall National Champion crown.

Audrey Gordon of Southwestern High

School (Illinois) was one of two females who shot perfect scores and went on to compete in the shoot-off. Gorden edged out her competition to take home the title of top female.

—USA Clay Target Shooting OHIO

Company takes fish designated for charity

Lake Fish Company, of Sandusky, illegally took walleye that were supposed to be donated to an area charity in 2021.

After an investigation uncovered that 112 walleye, one steelhead, one yellow perch, and three whitefish were stolen, five defendants pleaded guilty in the case to a total of 13 misdemeanor charges of petty theft, one count of fifth-degree felony theft, two misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property, and nine misdemeanor commercial fish violations.

The defendants are scheduled to pay a combined $24,120 in restitution to the charitable organization set to receive the stolen fish, and another $13,000 in restitution to the Division of Wildlife. Additionally, the commercial fish processor will have their wholesale fish license suspended for 30 days.

Many walleye tournaments on Lake Erie donate harvested fish to a local charity organization. A commercial fish processor is paid to clean donated fish and return the ready-tocook fillets to the charity.

FLORIDA ICAST winners

Florida-based American Tackle Company took home the “Best of Show” award with an all-carbon fishing rod handle, the G2 Tsuka 2 Complete Carbon Handle. The innovative custom rod component beat out a field of more than 1,000 other entries in the ICASTNew Product Showcase Awards, coming out on top of 37 other category winners.

Category winners include:

Motorized Boating Accessories

PowerPole Move ZR

Boats and Watercraft

Old Town Sportsman BigWater

Soft and Hard Coolers

Flop Box 10

Electronics

Westin EscapeCam

Cutlery

BUBBA Pro Series Smart Fish Scale

Fishing Accessory

Engel USB Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Live

Bait Aerator Pump

Terminal Tackle

VMC Swingin’ Ned Rig Jig

Fishing Line

Mastiff Fluorocarbon, Shimano

Fly Lines

BUZBE Colony 8T (thin)

Fly Fishing Reel

Cheeky Spray Fly Reel

Fly Fishing Rod

Hardy Marksman Z

Freshwater Soft Lure

Berkley PowerBait Nessie

Saltwater Soft Lure

Mulletron LT Swimbait, Z-Man

Freshwater Hard Lure

ChatterBait Elite EVO

Saltwater Hard Lure

MirrOlure The Duke Dog

Freshwater Rod

St. Croix Mojo Bass

Saltwater Rod

NRX+ Inshore, Shimano

Rod & Reel Combo

Abu Garcia ZATA Baitcast Combo

Freshwater Reel

Stradic FM, Shimano

Saltwater Reel

Seapower 1200, Diawa

Spotted reds

Continued from page 8

Anglers have been catching redfish with multiple spots, like this one caught by Devin Leissner, on San Antonio-area power plant lakes. Photo by Nate Skinner, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

a variety of marine species of fish in these reservoirs have occurred throughout the years since they were built. Both Calaveras and Braunig are cooling lakes for power plants, so their waters stay relatively warm year-round.

“The warm water characteristics of these reservoirs made redfish a perfect candidate to be stocked in them,” said Nisbet. “Plus, we already had the red drum hatchery efforts established to support these stockings.”

However, as for the surplus of spots on these freshwater redfish, Nisbet said there is no factual evidence to explain why it happens.

“Perhaps it is because the red drum swimming in these lakes are, for the most part, the top predator in the food chain,” Nisbet said. “They don’t have to contend with sharks or porpoises like they do on the coast. The spot on a red drum’s tail is a biological defense mechanism characteristic that is intended to confuse predators, making them think that their tail is their head. They don’t necessarily need that in

Summer cats

Continued from page 1

can reel them in.”

Most of the channel cats he’s running into have ranged from 13 to 22 inches in length.

On Lake Ray Roberts, fishing guide Cole Thompson has been putting his anglers on limits of channel catfish in 15-20 feet of water where standing timber is abundant. A vertical presentation with punch bait, while anchored, has been his most reliable approach so far.

“Some days the fish are hanging within a foot or two of the bottom, and on other days they are suspended 7 to 8 feet up off of the bottom,” Thompson said. “I’ve just been watching my electronics and helping my anglers make adjustments as necessary.”

the freshwater reservoirs, so maybe that’s why they have multiple spots.”

According to the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Science Director Dr. Mark Fisher red drum cannot live in waters colder than 39 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm waters of power plant lakes like Calaveras and Braunig allow the redfish to thrive.

Similar to Nisbet, Fisher could only theorize as to why redfish are developing more spots in freshwater.

“We do have fish along the coast that have many spots along their tails and sides,” Fisher said. “Another theory as to why the redfish in Calaveras and Braunig lakes might appear to have more spots than coastal fish could simply be that they are confined to the boundaries of those reservoirs. In other words, there is a large concentration of redfish in a fairly small area on those bodies of water, compared to the vast waters of the Gulf Coast. It could be possible that we have just as many redfish in our coastal estuaries that are sporting a bunch of spots, we just don’t see them as often because they have more water to hide from anglers.”

Thompson said most of the channel cats they’re catching are 14-18 inches in length. Blue cats are mostly weighing a pound or two, but he’s finding some pushing 5-10 pounds, too.

Lake Tawakoni catfish guide James Evans said channel catfish have been feeding in different parts of the water column in stretches that are at least 22 feet deep and typically around trees. At sunrise, Evans will find them about 6 feet down, and as midmorning approaches, he’ll start fishing at about 15 feet before they start stacking up along the bottom.

“The larger fish have been biting early in the mornings,” Evans said. “As it gets hotter, the average size of the fish tends to get smaller.”

For home or office delivery, go to LSONews.com, or call (214) 361-2276, or send a check or money order to the address below. Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $35 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $3, in certain markets copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2023 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/ or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or email them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Executive Editor Craig Nyhus

Managing Editor David Schlake

Design Editor C2-Studios, Inc.

Copy Editor Carl Ellis

Operations Manager Mike Hughs

Billing & Accounts Payable Lea Marsh

Website Bruce Solieu

National Advertising Mike Nelson

Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Advertising: Call (214) 361-2276 or email editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

For home delivery subscriptions www.LSONews.com (214) 361-2276

JULY 28-29

GATGO EXPO

Rock Hill Baptist Church

Brownsboro (903) 852-6711 gatexpo.com

JULY 29

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Gulf Coast Banquet

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

AUGUST 2-6

TEXAS INTERNATIONAL FISHING TOURNAMENT

South Padre Island (956) 943-8438 tift.org

AUGUST 3

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

DSC 100 Kickoff Party

DSC Headquarters (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

DUCKS UNLIMITED

Cibilo Creek Banquet

Schertz Civic Center (210) 332-7133 ducks.org

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Northwest Houston Banquet Shirley Acres (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

AUGUST 4

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

Highland Lakes Banquet

Inmans Kitchen and BBQ, Llano (830) 385-6059 nwtf.org

DATEBOOK

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION

Cowtown Chapter

Full Draw Film Tour

Rahr & Son Brewery Fort Worth fulldrawfilmtour.com

AUGUST 4-6

TEXAS TROPHY HUNTERS ASSOCIATION

Houston Extravaganza

NRG Center (210) 523-8500 ttha.com

AUGUST 5

JOSHUA CREEK RANCH

Summer Saturday Fun Shoot Boerne (830) 537-5090 joshuacreek.com

AUGUST 10-13

EXOTIC WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION

Congressional Fundraiser

Embassy Suites, San Marcos (830) 315-7761 myewa.org

AUGUST 11-13

TEXAS TROPHY HUNTERS ASSOCIATION

Fort Worth Extravaganza

Fort Worth Convention Center (210) 523-8500 ttha.com

LADIES KINGFISH TOURNAMENT South Padre Island (956) 761-4412 spichamber.com

AUGUST 12

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION North Texas Banquet Embassy Suites, Grapevine (214) 693-8523 rmef.org

AUGUST 16-18

ROLLING PLAINS QUAIL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Statewide Quail Symposium Abilene quailresearch.org

AUGUST 17

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB

Bucket List Hunts with Craig Boddington

The Adolphus Hotel (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

Hill Country Banquet New Braunfels Civic Center (210) 260-8968 ccatexas.org

DUCKS UNLIMITED Baytown Dinner Westside Complex Community Building (832) 597-7542 ducks.org

AUGUST 18-19

TEXAS DEER ASSOCIATION

Annual Convention Marriott Hill Country (512) 499-0466 texasdeerassociation.com

NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

Blackland Prairie Banquet Knights of Columbus Hall, West (254) 855-2902 nwtf.org

Puzzle solution from Page 18

TEXAS TROPHY

WHITETAILS

Axis, Blackbuck, Hogs Free range whitetail and exotic hunts in Sonora, TX www.HuntTexasWhitetails.com (717) 512-3582

WHITETAIL + HOGS

Brush country whitetail bucks!

C4 RANCH - WHITETAIL & EXOTIC HUNTS

Cull, Management & Trophies up to 300” Duval County, TX

High Fenced & MLD Managed 10+ Years Vernon Carr (361) 774-2442

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

ANTLERS WANTED

Buying all species, all conditions. Looking for large quantities Call Del (830) 997-2263

Doe, management bucks and hog hunts

All-inclusive guided hunts zacatehunts.com (325) 446- 6716

DEER HUNTERS

Used Deer Blinds for sale

4x6 fiberglass with 10-foot towers Three available, $1850 each

Used feeders also available

Text for photos Located 1 hour north of Abilene (214) 695-2950

QUAIL HUNTING

Guided-Self Guided-Training 700 yard RANGE PoetryShootingClub.com (214) 728-2755

DUVAL

EXOTICS + WHITETAIL

Several species Trophy and meat hunts Owner guided Very reasonable Let’s have fun! (325) 475-2100

COLORADO ARCHERY

ELK AND BEAR HUNT Sept. 16-21 on a private ranch with hunting lodge in unit #25. $6,000 for a group up to 7. Property borders White River National Forest.

Over the counter licenses. (970) 243-5362

MID-TEX LAND SERVICES LLC

Land Clearing, Mulching, Rock Milling, Roads, Excavation

Professional and insured WWW.MIDTEXLAND.COM (254) 595-1696

SKID STEER BRUSH CUTTING / HYDRO AX

All your clearing needs, right-of-ways, senderos, creek & river bottoms, fence lines etc. South Texas Call Frank (512) 699-5381

DOS HERMANOS RANCH

Trophy Whitetails & Exotics

On 4000 acres near San Angelo, TX doshermanosranch.com Jake at (208) 477-9065

PATAGONIA ARGENTINA

RED STAG HUNTS

100% free range 5 day guided hunts, luxury lodging and meals. Trophy and management packages available. (210) 748-9392

NEED ARCHERY RANGE? www.TexasArchery.info

FISHING

CRAPPIE. CATFISH. SANDBASS. STRIPER. Guided Hunts and Offshore Adventures. www.DFWOutdoors.com

Call Capt. Lane Palmer at (817) 266-9811

BAY FISHING 6 Hour Trip from $275 Port Isabel, TX (956) 551-1965

JOBS

PART-TIME DELIVERING LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Rio Grande Valley and Victoria/Sugar Land Areas (214) 361-2276

Even after you upgrade to a new HK VP9, with its best-in-class trigger pull and ergonomic, customizable grip, you’re not quite done yet. You still need a couple of important accessories. And we’re not talking about holsters, lights and optics either. Training and Practice – They are two different things and we all need more of both. Look into it … and go do the work!

A Place to Shoot San Antonio, 210-628-1888

Abilene Indoor Gun Range

Abilene, 325-698-4224

Able Ammo

Huntsville, 936-295-5786

AJC Sports Clute, 979-265-4867

Ally Outdoors

Midland, 972-332-3700

Richardson, 972-332-3700

Alpha Armory

Houston, 888-932-7660

Alpine Shooting Range

Ft Worth, 817-478-6613

Americana Arms, LLC

Beeville, 361-362-3673

Athena Gun Club

Houston, 713-461-5900

BPS Outfitters

Sherman, 903-832-2227

BTO Range

Conroe, 936-588-3333

Buck & Doe’s Mercantile, LLC

San Antonio, 830-980-3637

C.A.C Tactical

Southlake, 888-211-8191

Caroline Colt Company LLC

Abilene, 325-232-7501

Carroll’s Gun Shop

Whaton, 979-532-3175

Carter’s Country

Houston, 713-461-1844

Houston, 281-879-1466

Pasadena, 713-475-2222

Spring, 281-443-8393

DFW Shooting Sports

Bedford, 817-285-0664

Champion Firearms College Station, 979-693-9948

Collectors Firearms

Houston, 713-781-5812

Danny's, Inc.

McAllen, 956-687-4692

Defender Outdoors

Fort Worth, 817-935-8377

DFW Gun Club

Dallas, 214-630-4866

Dury's Gun Shop

San Antonio, 210-533-5431

Field & Streams Sporting Goods

San Angelo, 325-944-7094

Fun Guns

Waco, 254-755-0080

Gibson’s

Weatherford, 817-594-8711

Glick Twins

Pharr, 956-787-429

GRITR Sports

N. Richland Hills, 817-200-7470

Grabagun.com

Coppell, 972-552-7246

Guard & Defend Firearms

Silsbee, 409-201-9468

Guns Warehouse LLC

Cedar Park, 512-986-7330

Hoss Arms, LLC

New Braunfels, 830-609-8891

John Doe Investigations, LLC

Lewisville, 214-773-0129 Kirkpatrick Gun & Ammo

Laredo, 956-723-6338

Marksmen Firearms

Mansfield, 817-453-8680

McBride's Guns

Austin, 512-472-3532

Misson Ridge Range & Academy

San Antonio, 210-504-9000

Mister Guns LLC

Plano, 214-901-7429

Modern Pawn & Guns

Corpus Christi, 361-993-9390

Nagel's Gun Shop, Inc.

San Antonio, 210-342-5420

Nardis Gun Club

San Antonio, 210-369-9199

Omaha Outdoors

Rosenberg, 713-703-4648

Past & Blast Antiques & Firearms

Whitesboro, 903-564-5444

Point Blank Sporting Goods

Pharr, 956-992-8799

Primary Arms

Houston, 713-344-9600

Ranger Firearms of Texas Inc.

San Antonio, 210-822-4867