Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper Since 2004
August 27, 2021
Volume 18, Issue 1
Catching monster alligator gar By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News The alligator gar is a unique and diverse fish that can be found lurking within our state’s rivers and reservoirs, as well as in coastal estuaries. They can reach sizes of 6.5 feet or longer, and weigh well over 100 pounds. Some of the most consistent action for gar right now can be found along the deeper pools of rivers and
deeper flats of inland lakes. Corpus Christi area Realtor and angler, Stacy Todd, recently landed her first alligator gar while fishing with her boyfriend, Chris Saunders, on a trip with Capt. Cody Cryer of Garzilla Guide Service on the Trinity River. “I have been trying to target gar on the Nueces River, and just haven’t had any luck with it,” Todd said. “So we decided to head to the Trinity River to fish with Cryer and see what we
could do.” The group launched at sunrise in the Trinity River near Madisonville, and the action started to pick up around mid-morning. “We were using fresh cut carp for bait, fished along the bottom with a slip cork on the main line,” Todd explained. “Cryer had instructed us that patience was the key to having a successful gar fishing trip, and he was definitely right.” Please turn to page 11
Stacy Todd landed and released this 127-pound alligator gar while fishing with Garzilla Guide Service on the Trinity River. Photo by Cody Cryer.
Staying cool Bucks use shade, wind, water By Nate Skinner
For Lone Star Outdoor News
White-tailed deer seek many ways to keep cool, including taking a dip in a pond or stock tank. Photo by David Sunderland.
To deal with the summer heat, white-tailed bucks take advantage of what’s available, including wading into tanks. South Texas-based wildlife biologist, Blaise Korzekwa, said one crucial factor that plays a role in how bucks cope with the scorching temperatures is their digestive process and eating habits. “As deer digest food, they produce additional body heat, especially when consuming food sources that are high in protein,” Korzekwa said. “The body heat created from the digestive process further increases the stress they are under during the hottest portion of the year, which makes shade and water sources even more essential.” Bucks will use multiple sources of shade to stay cool during the heat of the day. “This includes shade from smaller trees with thin branches
and vegetation, such as mesquite trees, shade from multi-trunk shrubs that deer can bed down under, shade that sprawls out and surrounds a single-trunk larger tree, like a live oak, as well as shade created by a canopy of multiple trees,” Korzekwa said. “We’ve even noticed that the type of shadeproducing tree or vegetation being used varies between bucks. Some prefer the shade from larger trees, while others prefer to bed down under smaller trees and shrubs.” Deer will predominately position themselves on the southeast portion of shaded areas. “That’s because we typically have a prevailing southeast wind during the summertime in South Texas,” Korzekwa said. “So the deer are not only taking advantage of the cooler temperature found in the shade, but they are also positioning themselves in the shade where they can feel the breeze.” Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s White-tailed Deer Program leader, Alan Cain, said studies have been conducted over the last two decades show that deer Please turn to page 15
By Tony Vindell
One of the most popular fishing spots in South Texas is about to become more attractive, thanks to money from the Deepwater Horizon spill. A canal built about 20 years ago, which runs from the Brownsville Ship Channel to the Bahia Grande, is being widened and deepened under a project funded with money from the
environment disaster that took place in April 2010. According to reports, the Lone Star State received more than $100 million for restoration as part of a settlement reached between the rig owners and the U.S. government. The Texas General Land Office allocated some of that money to restoration projects, such as the east side of the canal. The canal runs east to west and Please turn to page 18
CONTENTS
Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP
For Lone Star Outdoor News
Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10 Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 11 Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12 Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 Sun, Moon & Tides . . . . . Page 16 Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . Page 21
INSIDE
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DALLAS, TX PERMIT 3814
Popular canal widened, deepened
A wade-fisherman tries his luck as work continues on deepening and widening of a canal that connects the Brownsville Ship Channel with the Bahia Grande. Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
HUNTING
FISHING
Dove optimism (P. 4)
Schooling reds (P. 8)
Pre-season numbers look good.
Grouping with tidal movement.
Russian ammo ban (P. 6)
Lonnie Stanley dies (P. 9)
Order focuses on gun owners.
Creator of Stanley Jig, Ribbit Frog.
