March 11, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

March 11, 2011

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Pronghorn Revival Panhandle animals relocated to Marfa Plateau.

Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

March 11, 2011

Adapting to change

Inside

Vary late winter patterns to locate largemouths

❘❚ FISHING

White bass tactics

By Conor Harrison

Anglers change methods during run.

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LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Lewisville Lake fishing guide Steve Schiele wishes he could have kept the huge bass he caught during practice for an upcoming tournament.

Schiele was pre-fishing his home lake for the Bassmaster Open tournament on Feb. 24-26.

One of the reasons he couldn’t repeat his pre-fishing success was a major change in the weather from the beginning to the end of the week, when temperatures plummeted from lows in the 60s to lows in the 30s.

Schiele boated a 13-pound, 6-ounce bass on Monday before the tournament fishing with a Rat-L-Trap. That fish alone would have placed him in the money on the first day of the tournament Thursday.

“I tried to catch that fish both days of the tournament,” Schiele said. “They don’t get that big by being stupid, though.

She probably heard a ■ Tucker Wins Rat-L-Trap and went Bassmaster Open: Page 8 the other way.”

That called for a change of tactics for many of the anglers, something even recreational anglers have to deal with often.

Schiele said his strategy for finding fish

They’re back Big black drum are making their annual spring run along the coast.

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❘❚ HUNTING

High-dollar genetics

INSIDE

TDA auction fetches $850K from sales.

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GPS gobblers Researchers strapping GPS units on backs of turkeys.

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See ADAPTING, Page 16 CALM BEFORE THE STORM: When conditions change, bass anglers have to adapt quickly. What often starts out as a warm, calm day on the water can quickly turn cool and windy, forcing anglers to change tactics to find fish. Photo by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Bearded hens one of nature’s oddities

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Volume 7, Issue 14

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS When it happens in humans, it makes a great sideshow.

Bearded ladies have long been a fascination at carnival shows and ocean boardwalks.

It’s no different with turkeys.

Approximately 10 to 20 percent of all wild turkey hens have beards, and the phenomenon seems more prevalent in the Rio Grande subspecies than others.

Although bearded hens currently aren’t legal to shoot during the spring season in Texas, a proposal before the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will be voted on at the end of March that could make them part of the legal bag limit beginning in the fall.

INSIDE ■ Turkey Preview: Page 4 See BEARDED HENS, Page 20

Hog commandos Military gear used to attack feral hogs in the dark

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Fifty years ago, this nighttime scene would have been straight out of a science fiction novel.

Four men wearing strange helmets, fitted with special goggles, trudge across a surface so rugged it could pass as a moonscape.

They move in pitch darkness, yet the gog-

NIGHT MOVES: Madisonville-based Tactical Hog Control uses stateof-the-art military gear to kill entire herds of feral hogs that do most of their damage at night. The light-colored jackets on the shooters shown here were actually dark, but night-vision technology made them appear lighter. Photo by Tactical Hog Control, for LSON.

gles allow them to see the world in an eerie green glow — everything from a starstudded sky to the blades of

grass at their feet.

Suddenly they come upon See COMMANDOS, Page 16

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March 11, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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March 11, 2011

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March 11, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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HUNTING

GOBBLIN’ TIME: Turkey prospects across the state, with the exception of some eastern counties, are great this year. Plenty of mature toms and hoards of young jakes will give hunters plenty of action as the season rolls on.

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

Get ready for a great spring Turkey numbers up, but jakes may get in the way

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Ted Masser loves to sit on his porch during spring mornings and listen to the gobblers that roost on his ranch near Harper and sound off to impress the hens.

This year, the birds began gobbling the last week of February.

“We’ve got jillions of birds this year,” Masser said. “Lots of hens and quite a few mature toms. They’ve been gobbling now for a week or so.”

Spring Rio Grande turkey season begins across the southern portion of the state on March 19, and the northern zone starts April 2. And, by all accounts, this should be one of the best spring hunting seasons in memory.

After last spring’s banner hatch, lots of young birds will be responding to calls this season.

“Hunters should see lots of birds,” said Jason Hardin, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s lead turkey biologist. “There will be huge

groups of jakes running around. Last year was the largest hatch most people had ever seen.”

Hardin said although the drought affected turkey recruitment two to three years ago, there still should be mature birds to hunt as well.

“There will be some longbeards out there,” he said.

“South Texas, especially, has lots of mature birds. In country where hunting pressure has been low, there will be plenty of mature birds.

“In heavily hunted areas, there won’t be as many.”

Hardin said hunting along riparian areas in the Panhandle should be great this season, and there will be some eastern birds to hunt, but TPWD is considering closing hunting in 15 East Texas counties next year because of low numbers.

“The easterns had a pretty good hatch last year and there will be a few more jakes for people to pull the trigger on,” he said. “Merriams are a little iffy this year, but they did have pretty good carryover from last year.”

Robert Linder, president of the Texas chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, also expects a great season.

“It should be a fantastic season if you can keep all of the jakes off of your decoys before the big gobblers come in,” Linder said. “There should be lots of action. Hunters will need to be patient and wait for the jakes to leave because there will be lots of young males out there.”

Linder said along with the fantastic hunting this season, last year’s great hatch has set the stage for the next several seasons.

“It should be great all over — the Panhandle, South Texas and the Hill Country,” he said. “This just should be an incredible season for Rios.”

Nesting conditions this year will be average, unless major rains occur between now and the end of March.

“We could use some rain because we’ve still got dry conditions out there,” Linder said. “It’s all about habitat and ground cover (for a successful nesting season). If the hens have that, they’ll be fine.”

Deer, livestock escape massive range fire near Matador

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS A Feb. 27 wildfire scorched an estimated 40,000 acres in Motley County, and more than half of those were on the historic Matador Ranch, but its livestock and prized deer appear to have escaped the flames.

Fires were reported in six West Texas counties that day, which challenged the resources of the volunteer fire departments, the Texas Forest Service and other agencies.

In Motley County, the town of Matador was evacuated as 50-mph winds swept across the range, but homes and lives were unscathed.

Game Warden Matthew Cruse, assigned to Motley County, said trappers for the U.S. Government flew over

much of the burned area and saw very little damage to wildlife or livestock.

“They found approximately 15 wild hogs burned and one female deer,” he said, “but we don’t know if it was a whitetail or a mule deer.”

Cruse, who was reached on March 4, said there were only a few reports of livestock harmed by fire.

“They must have had several escape routes — it’s all I can figure — that kept them from being caught in the flames,” the warden said.

The ranch, which dates back to the 1870s, came close to losing its lodge and headquarters. A barbecue shack was lost, but flames stopped short of the other buildings.

Since 2000, the 130,000-acre working cattle ranch has See FIRE, Page 20

BLAZE: An estimated 40,000 acres burned the last weekend of February in Motley County. Much of the fire was on the historic Matador Ranch, but most of its prized white-tailed deer, mule deer and livestock escaped the flames. Photo by Texas Forest Service.

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

First time for everything Woman kills record book water buffalo FIRST-TIMER: Paula Jones stands next to the water buffalo she killed in December in Kerr County.

Photo by Paula Jones.

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Paula Jones has been hunting before.

But before, she had to sit and watch boyfriends shoot the trophies.

That changed in a big way in mid-December when Jones, while hunting with her husband, Lee Burkett, downed a potential state record water buffalo on a ranch in west Kerr County.

“I told him I wasn’t going with him unless I could kill something,” Jones said. “I wanted to kill something big because I’d never killed anything big before — just a couple of birds with my shotgun.”

Burkett agreed, and Jones

found a picture of a water buffalo in a photo album at the lodge that looked pretty good.

“Our guide, Justin Taylor, said they only had one (water buffalo) on the ranch and he thought it might be a state record. We got to talking about it, and I told my husband it sure would be nice to see my name in the record book.”

Jones was hunting with Taylor, who guides for Texas Hunt Lodge in Kerr County.

“We went to the ranch and we got within 75 yards of the bull,” she said.

She shot him with a .50-caliber muzzleloader as he turned.

Jones said the first shot was a little high, so a finishing shot was needed to put the bull down for good.

“I got bragging rights now,” Jones said. “This was my very first time shooting something through a scope.”

Jones said she was nervous about the recoil from the big smoke pole. After the first shot knocked her hat off, however, she didn’t feel any recoil as the adrenaline of the hunt took over.

The buffalo was taken to a local meat processor, who weighed it at 2,200 pounds field dressed. Jones said she and her husband received 1,100 pounds of meat from the buffalo.

“The meat turned out awesome,” she said.

The buffalo green scored just over 107-inches, which should put it high in the exotic record book, if not at the top for black powder.

“This was really fun,” she said. “I’m not a big hunter because I never got to shoot the big gun.

“Now I want my own rifle to start practicing for next season.”

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

GPS project offers new ideas about Rio Grande turkeys

By Bill Miller

bird when a researcher was behind the controls. The GPS is proRio Grande turkeys grammed to send and have been “backpackreceive signals at speing” for a couple years cific intervals, which now on a South Texas gives a more precise ranch, giving researchers picture of a bird’s and hunters new insights movements. on how they move.

Where they stop to Of course, the backnest or roost is critical. pack described here is This data, Hardin said, not outdoors luggage will be used to evaluate filled with camping gear. the structure and height It’s a holder for a of cover where turkeys global positioning syshide from predators. tem, or GPS. Landowners can The device, strapped use the information to backs of turkeys, to determine exactly identifies their locawhat they must do to tions by signals, which improve turkey habitat. are picked up by satelHardin said he’s conlites that send the inforfident that the GPS mation back to earth. technology will show The project began HIGH-TECH TURKEY: The New Zealand firm, Sirtrack, has helped Texas researchers develop GPS backpacks for researchers how to in 2008 on the Temple turkeys. Each unit, which cost about $1,700, tracks a bird’s movement, revealing information about the habitat help eastern turkeys, Ranch in Duval County. they prefer. Photo by Texas A&M University. whose populations have Since then, researchers dropped to the point northeast Duval County. absolute creatures of habit.” have retrieved the data to that TPWD officials are Together the partners work to considering closing turkey hunting The GPS research confirmed regularly track turkey movements.

This has confirmed a lot of known that they roost in large groups, but trap turkeys with large nets, strap next year in 15 East Texas counties.

Meanwhile, the habitat quesbehavior of Rio Grande turkeys, but when they venture out, it’s in pairs on the backpacks and then, after a designated period, they trap or tions for Rio Grande turkeys still it also has revealed new habits, said that don’t seem to change.

“There are turkeys that are prob- harvest the birds to retrieve the are being researched.

Dr. Bret Collier, a research ecologist ably friends,” Collier said. “So for GPS units and the data they hold.

The results, however, may at Texas A&M University.

The New Zealand firm, Sirtrack, enlighten land managers on how “There’s a theory out there example, you’ll have Bill and Bob called ‘habitat sampling,’” Collier go left, and Kevin and Rick go first developed the GPS units for to improve drought-resistant said. “A hen will breed, go to an right. They travel together almost following seabirds. The backpacks habitat for healthy turkey popufor turkey cost about $1,700 each, lations, said Robert Sanders, land area, and spend a week or two look- every day.

“I’ve been studying turkey for Collier said. manager and biologist for the ing at that area before she decides “For years we used radio telem- Temple Ranch. eight years now and I had no idea where she wants to nest. etry, or just sat up on a hill watch“Any place can raise a few tur“We’ve basically been able to this stuff was going on.”

The GPS project has been a joint ing turkeys,” said Jason Hardin, keys in a real wet year,” Sanders dispel the myth. Now we know said, “but we’re trying to figure out that they walk to an area and start effort of Texas A&M, Texas Parks TPWD’s turkey program leader.

But, he explained, the previ- how to set our habitat up to sustain and Wildlife Department and nesting right away.”

Tom turkeys, Collier added, “are the 11,000-acre Temple Ranch in ous data from radio only tracked a birds during really dry times.”

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GM of new Cabela's store announced Cabela’s new store in Allen is set open with a ribbon cutting, 11:30 a.m. April 14, with Matthew Burtch at the helm as general manager.

The 100,000-square-foot store will be located at U.S. Highway 75 at the Stacy Road exit in Allen, north of Dallas.

It’s Cabela’s third retail store in Texas, joining the Fort Worth and Buda locations.

It will showcase thousands of products, Matthew Burtch including hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor recreation gear, as well as outdoor clothing and gifts and furnishings.

The new store also creates 250 jobs.

“The area’s residents are people who enthusiastically enjoy their outdoor heritage,” said Chief Executive Officer Tommy Millner. “We’re excited to welcome people with that background into the Cabela’s family of employees.”

Burtch joined Cabela’s in 2009 as general manager of the company’s store in Hammond, Ind. He previously worked as a store manager for Lowe’s in both Tyler and Gun Barrel City, Texas, and Gander Mountain in Tonawanda, N.Y. “I have the greatest job,” Burtch said. “I have the opportunity to develop and fuel our outfitters’ passion for the outdoors. I value the responsibility of ensuring our customers receive outstanding service each and every time they enter the store.”

—Staff report

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High-dollar genetics spur $850,000 in sales at TDA auction That sale fetched $45,000 for six straws, Runnels said.

Also notable, Runnels said, was the sale of a 2011 fawn, again from High Roller Whitetails, out of the buck Express. The baby deer sold for $46,000, Runnels said.

During a break from the auction, Karl Kinsel, TDA executive director, reflected on how the deer breeding industry evolved since it really started gaining momentum in the 1990s.

But first, Kinsel offered some historical perspective; he recalled that during the 1970s, a 160-class buck was considered a top-end deer in Texas.

Then, Kinsel said, with the onset of scientifi c deer breeding in the 1990s, STICKERS LIVES ON: Pricella Ramon of Beeville displays a replica mount of Stickers Legacy, an offspring of the famed breeder “the bar” was soon raised to 180, and it kept going higher. buck, Stickers, March 5 at the Texas Deer Association's Supe“The good 200s — we’ve really only rior Genetics Deer Auction. Pricella and her husband, Ernie, own Stickers Legacy, which produced two straws of semen that seen in the last several years,” said Ernie sold at the auction for $2,400. Photo by Bill Miller, LSON. Ramon, who owns Ramon Whitetails of Beeville. “Now to see one that size at

By Bill Miller 2 years old is pretty common.”

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Kinsel said the industry continues to draw criticism from people who believe the size of The Texas Deer Association’s Superior Texas deer should not be manipulated with Genetics Auction generated $850,000 in sales genetics from herds of northern states, like March 5 at the Embassy Suites Outdoor World Ohio. in Grapevine.

He countered that raising these bigger The auction began around 1 p.m. and continued steadily for several hours in a confer- bucks has created new hunting opportunience room at the hotel next to Bass Pro Shop ties, which pump a lot of money into smalltown economies. of Grapevine.

He noted that a 2007 study by Texas A&M The auction included bred does, fawns and University showed scientific deer breeding straws of semen from prime breeder bucks.

The top sale was $65,000 for a bred doe generates $650 million in sales at feed stores, from High Roller Whitetails of Center, Texas, sporting goods stores, restaurants and hotels.

“A lot of people think we’re just about big said Vance Runnels, auctioneer and auction deer,” Kinsel said, “but really it’s about rural manager.

The doe was out of Maxbo Hardcore, an off- communities.” spring of famed breeder buck Maxbo.

Top genetics will be on sale again this sumTop selling semen straws came from mer at the TDA’s 13th Annual Convention another Maxbo offspring, Maxbo 727, owned and Fundraiser, Aug. 10-14, at the JW Marriott

by Sullivan Whitetail Ranch of Sunset, Texas. San Antonio Hill Country Resort.

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FISHING

Switch tactics for late white bass spawning runs WINTER RESIDENTS: The annual black drum run is picking up along the coast as anglers catch the big fish on piers and in deep cuts where the big fish patrol.

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

Black drum beginning annual run Recreational and commercial anglers taking advantage of healthy numbers

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

difference as long as the white bass can hear them rattling,’’ said Mike Kroll of Karnes City, who has been an avid white bass angler since he was 8 years old.

“Another thing that helps is to fish on the sunny side of the rivers where the current is slower,’’ said the 55-year-old Kroll, explain-

March means a lot of things in Texas.

College basketball, spring break and the annual black drum run come to mind.

Big black drum have begun to show up in the deeper channels along the coast and anglers are starting to take advantage.

According to Mike Strickland, manager at Cos-Way Fishing Pier in Corpus Christi, anglers have been catching drum for almost a month on the Cos-Way pier.

“They’ve caught quite a few during the past month,” Strickland said. “We actually have a contest going on right now for the biggest black drum.”

Strickland said anglers have been hooking big drum on dead

See WHITE BASS, Page 22

See BLACK DRUM Page 19

GO LARGE: This 16-inch white bass, one of the few large fish still being caught as the spawn winds down, was tempted to bite by a ½-ounce Rat-L-Trap (bottom) that dwarfs the 1/8-ounce lure that was the hot ticket in the early part of the season. Photo by Ralph Winingham, for LSON.

By Ralph Winingham FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS From the Nueces River to the Colorado River and Canyon Lake to Lake Buchannan, white bass anglers are discovering that the late spawning runs are requiring a change in tactics to catch fish.

Taking advantage of one of the best seasons in recent memory,

anglers have relied on tried-and true techniques to keep catching white bass that are taking their annual upstream reproduction runs.

One of the tricks has been to kick up the size of crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps to 1/2 ounce or larger, replacing the 1/4- or even 1/8-ounce baits that were hot during the early spawn.

“Color doesn’t seem to make any

Tucker wins on Lewisville Reserves spot in Classic

By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Most of the 160 or so anglers who fished the Pro Bass Shops Bassmaster Central Open Feb. 24-26 on Lewisville Lake found the fishing tough and the bites few and far between.

Former Elite Series pro Mark Tucker from St. Louis, Mo., wasn’t one of them.

Tucker overcame an interesting start to the final day of fishing to win the event with a total three-day weight of 45 pounds, 15 ounces.

Tucker’s day could have been disastrous when a random check by tournament officials at the dock showed Tucker had an expired insurance card for his boat.

Luckily, the snafu only cost him 15 minutes because he contacted his insurance agent and had a copy faxed to B.A.S.S. officials.

“You strive to be the best, and when something like this happens, there's nothing like it. This is an awesome lake and it's great to be here.’’

See TUCKER WINS, Page 22

Golden alga killing fish on Lake Granbury

HEADING OUT: Three of the top 12 boats head out from the dock on Saturday, Feb. 26 on Lewisville Lake. Missouri native Mark Tucker held off a late challenge and won the tournament. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

Warm weather stirs trout, some reds in ‘the cut’

By Bill Miller

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Fisheries on Possum Kingdom Reservoir have reportedly rebounded from an outbreak of deadly golden alga a year ago, but another lake in the Brazos River basin now is dealing with the deadly microorganism.

A golden alga bloom is

blamed for killing thousands of fish on Lake Granbury this winter, said Melissa Dudley, pollution biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“The bloom started around the first week of January and continues,” Dudley said. “Dead fish have been noted all over the lake. The most recent count is 82,418 dead.”

Earlier, many of the dead fish were threadfin shad, but during the last week of February, officials from TPWD and the Brazos River Authority counted a lot of dead game fish.

Included were channel and flathead catfish, largeSee GOLDEN ALGA, Page 21

LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The Land Cut south of Baffin Bay lived up to its reputation as a prime spot for speckled trout, redfish and other species during the first weekend of March.

The 26-mile passage of the Intracoastal Waterway funnels a lot of game fish and bait.

Warmer water sparked a nice top-water bite around Baffin Bay, according to reports, with trout in the mud and grass going after Corkies.

Trout also were good along the shoreline of the King Ranch.

See WARM WEATHER, Page 25

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Experts say anglers will find ways around rising gas prices

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS There’s nothing new about turmoil in the Middle East, but when entrenched dictators are challenged through uprisings, tensions flare.

And gas prices rise for everyone in the U.S., including Texas anglers who routinely consume multiple tanks of fuel towing their boats to the coast and then running them.

Such has been the case since February when unrest ratcheted up in Egypt and then Libya.

Consequently, the average price per gallon in Texas was $3.39 on March 6, up from about $2.57 a year ago.

“This is pretty salty stuff,” said Dan Ronan, spokesman for AAA in Texas. “Granted, Libya is not the biggest oil producer in the world, but it is of strategic importance just because of where it is.”

Ronan said vacation season traditionally causes gas prices to steadily rise May through July.

If prices hike even more because of the Mideast, anglers will just pay more, or they’ll have to get a little creative.

Not going at all is no option, said one coastal economist.

“You would think people would cut back,” said Dr. David Yoskowitz of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “But in Texas, and along the Gulf coast in particular, fishing is not so much a luxury, but a passion that needs to be satisfied.”

Yoskowitz works at the

BUDDY SYSTEM: Staying home is not an option for a lot of anglers facing higher gas prices. Observers say some might cut back on trips, while others will double up with friends or even strangers to share fuel costs. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte, for LSON.

university’s Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. He said the easiest remedy is to simply go fishing less.

He said people who live two to three hours from the coast — “striking distance” — might not alter their plans significantly this summer.

People who live as far away as the Panhandle or the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, however, “may give it a second thought.”

“Instead of coming six times during the summer, they might come four,” Yoskowitz said.

But Beau Reed, a fishing-reel repair mechanic in Austin, said there might be a way for anglers to actually do more fishing.

“If you have two guys, and they both have boats, why not get together on one boat?” he said. “Or boaters can offer open seats to people who don’t have boats.

“The nonboater will be able to get out on the boat and throw at the banks, instead of from the banks.”

Reed, a former Marine

from San Diego, opened Papa Chops Rod and Reel Repair two years ago in Austin.

He said the Internet sites 2Cool Fishing and Texas Fishing Forum are great ways for anglers to find boaters willing to host them, and vice versa.

Reed said he has noticed a steady increase in “crew wanted” postings, and he has been glad to see Texans inviting veterans like him to go fishing.

He also suggested joining a local fishing club to make those connections.

“Let’s say,” he hypothesized, “you and I both live here in Austin and we want to go fish Galveston. I’d say it might cost $50 in gas to get there, so we’re saving half that.

“Then we go out (on a boat) for at least six to eight hours, and if you make big runs, that’ll cost $150–$200 just on gas.

“Either way you look at it, it's mutually beneficial, especially if you can get three more people on the boat.

“At the very least take one person and that alone cuts costs in half.”

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Do-it-yourself scented baits

By Ralph Winingham

nostrils causes a bass to zero in on its source, much like the fish’s latPlenty of lure comeral lines are used to zero panies sell scented in on an object making a baits, but some anglers sound in the water. take the do-it-yourself The right smell on bait approach and make can help induce a strike their own nose candy. and, in theory, causes Scented baits are fish to hold onto the bait growing in popularlonger. ity across the country, “I have been using with some anglers never scents on baits since the leaving home withearly '80s when we would out an ample supply of spray our lures with baits that smell like garWD-40,’’ said Wayne lic, crawfish, coffee or Tauer of The Boat Shop in a variety of other odors Universal City and tourdesigned to attract fish. nament director of the Erik Atkins of Lubbock Rebel Bass Club. used his own scent creation THE NOSE KNOWS: Bass have two nostrils with “Anise oil was another on Jan. 15 to land a state odor-sensing nerve endings, so some anglers try scent used for a long time record spotted bass — a to gin up their lures with special scents. Some and now there are a lot 5.62-pound “spot” measur- anglers concoct their own fragrant recipes at of different scents on the home. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON. ing 22.75 inches in length market. I think a lot of and 15 inches in girth — the talk about its effecduring a tournament on Lake Alan Henry. tiveness is in the mind of the fisherman.

“I’ve been fishing all my life and I won’t go “Some of the people I know spray scent on fishing without it,’’ Atkins said of his home- everything and some don’t use it at all.” made concoction called “Bass Pookee.”

Randi Wyman of the Universal City Bass “I tell everyone that a little Bass Pookee Club swears by a garlic spray she has been means a lot of confidence,” he said. “It is not using for years and after 50 years of bass an overbearing scent, but it really coats a bait angling. She relies on scented baits while fishand the fish just won’t let go of it.’’ ing in murky or muddy water.

Developed after about 18 months of experi“If the bass can’t see the bait well, they rely mentation, Bass Pookee combines the scents of on their sense of smell and that is where the anise, garlic and several secret ingredients, he said. scented baits are really good to use,” she said.

As most anglers looking for an edge are “One of our members makes his own garlic aware, scent baits can be just the ticket for turn- scent, but it is so strong that you better be in ing non-cooperative fish into lure chompers. your boat ready to fish when you open it up.”

According to fish experts, bass have two While the use of scented baits is widenostrils, one on each side of the snout, with spread, Jim Kientz, executive director of Ray water filtered through these nostrils and over Scott Outdoors, said he is not aware of any pro odor-sensing nerve endings. angler who has given credit to scented baits Any odor detected by the stereo-equipped for winning a tournament.

FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

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Page 11

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TOLEDO BEND: Excellent on red Senkos and Xcaliburs sprayed with Kick N Bass on spawning flats.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

CALAVERAS: Striped bass are good on spoons and jigs near the dam in 15– 25 feet, and on chicken livers, shad and minnows along the shoreline.

COLEMAN: Hybrid striper are good on minnows.

LAVON: White bass are good on slabs.

TOLEDO BEND: White bass are excellent on olive/brown jigs, live crawfish, and red Rat–L–Traps upriver.

CATFISH

FORK: Good on cut shad over shallow mud flats.

GRANBURY: Good on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

TAWAKONI: Excellent in 3–6 feet on cut bait and fresh shad.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

CRAPPIE BUCHANAN: Good on minnows over brush piles in 10–15 feet.

FALCON: Good on minnows and crappie jigs.

TOLEDO BEND: Excellent on shiners and black/chartreuse tube jigs around brush in 3–8 feet.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 50–58 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on shad-pattern spinnerbaits and crankbaits along creek channels, and on jerkbaits, black/blue jigs and live baits suspended in trees. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live baits.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 60–64 degrees; 0.31’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lizards, worms and jerkbaits. Striped bass are good on crankbaits, jigging spoons and minnows. White bass are good on crankbaits, jigging spoons and minnows.

Catfish are fair on cheesebait, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfish are fair on droplines baited with live perch.

ARROWHEAD: Water semi–turbid; 56 degrees; 3.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair. Crappie are fair off the dam, state park piers and at the Henrietta and Deer Creek bridges. Blue catfish are good on cut shad while anchored in deeper water up to 30 feet.

are good on juglines baited with shad.

Channel catfish are good on stinkbait.

catfish are good on liver, shrimp, and nightcrawlers near the railroad trestle.

FAYETTE: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse and pumpkinseed soft plastics and Rat–L–Traps in shallows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on minnows and shrimp.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 62 degrees; 1.58’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged pumpkinseed Scoundrel worms on shaky jigheads and chartreuse jigs in 15–25 feet. Striped bass are fair trolling chartreuse striper jigs and vertically jigging Pirk Minnows. White bass fair jigging Pirk Minnows and Blade Baits along the main river channel at midlake.

FORK: Water fairly clear; 54–63 degrees; 3.28’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, Senkos, swimbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad over shallow mud flats.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 53–62 degrees; 2.56’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on medium-running shad pattern

GRANBURY: Water clear; 61 degrees; 0.33’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and pumpkinseed

HOT SPOT

ATHENS: Water lightly stained, 54–63 degrees; 0.8’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on jigs, spinnerbaits, Texas rigs and red Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs with a few fish moving towards the creeks. Bream are fair to good on live worms. Catfish are good on live worms and prepared bait.

BASTROP: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and liver.

BELTON: Water clear; 58–62 degrees; 3.00’ low. Largemouth bass are good on purple/black and navy blue soft plastic worms in coves. Hybrid striper are good trolling Rat–L–Traps. White bass are good on minnows in coves. Crappie are good on minnows under lights at night in coves. Channel and blue catfish are good on summer sausage, Vienna sausage and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

BOB SANDLIN: Water off-color; 55–64 degrees; 3.06’ low Largemouth bass are fair on Stanley Wedgetails, jigs and Texas-rigged red shad lizards. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on trotlines or juglines with Redneck’s Catfish Bait Soap.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms near the dam. Striped bass are good on liver and shad at Dead Tree Point. Redfish are slow. Channel catfish are good on shrimp, cheesebait, and cut bait near the discharge. Blue catfish are good on cut bait in 15–20 feet.

BRIDGEPORT: Water fairly clear; 53–60 degrees; 3.9’ low; Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits, Rat–L–Traps, shallowrunning crankbaits and Texas-rigged Baby Brush Hogs. White bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs and live bait.

Catfish are fair to good on cut shad.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 9.79’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastic worms and trolling Rat–L–Traps. Hybrid striper are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on stinkbait and shrimp.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 59 degrees; 10.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina-rigged black lizards, Rattlin’ Rogues and black/watermelon Curb’s hair jigs along ledges in 10–18 feet. Striped bass are fair trolling white/chartreuse Curbs striper jigs and Rattlin’ Rogues.

White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles in 10–15 feet.

CADDO: Water murky; 56–65 degrees; 0.52’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, flukes and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on dark Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits near the dam. Striped bass are good on spoons and jigs near the dam in 15–25 feet, and on chicken livers, shad and minnows along the shoreline. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue

Baffin Bay/The Land Cut According to Bluff’s Landing Marina and Lodge, the Land Cut and Baffin Bay have produced daily limits on good-sized trout during the past week. When anglers can fish during a sunny day, water temperatures are rising and anglers are filling the boat with trout, reds and the occasional flounder. To contact Bluff’s Landing call (361) 288-2656. For more on the Land Cut, see story on Page 8.

crankbaits, Texas rigs and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad and large slabs jigged vertically. Crappie are fair to good on minnows. Catfish are fair drifting cut shad.

soft plastics and shallow-running crankbaits. Striped bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink tube jigs. Catfish are good on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 63–65 degrees; 5.98’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastic worms and lizards, and small crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch.

JOE POOL: Water off-color; 52–62 degrees; 0.2’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and wacky rigs.

Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared baits.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 60–64 degrees; 10.96’ low. Largemouth bass are good on pumpkinseed Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are good on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 0.27’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are slow.

White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and red tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on perch, stinkbait, and frozen shrimp in 20–25 feet. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch in 20–25 feet.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 1.46’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and chartreuse soft plastics, crankbaits, and Rat–L–Traps. Striped bass are fair on minnows and chartreuse striper jigs.

Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfish are fair on stinkbait, live minnows, and frozen shrimp.

COOPER: Water stained; 52–61 degrees; 7.47’ low; Largemouth bass are fair to good on Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows with movement toward the shallows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on Sassy Shad and live shad. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

FALCON: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on magnum flukes, large lizards, spinnerbaits and shallow-running crankbaits in 1–5 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and crappie jigs. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on frozen shrimp, frozen shad, and prepared bait.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained; 53–61 degrees; 0.26’ high. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on Texas rigs, weightless flukes or 5” Yum Dingers and Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

Bream are fair on red wigglers.

LAVON: Water stained; 51–60 degrees; 4.82’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and shallow slow–running crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs.

Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridge columns. Catfish are fair to good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

LBJ: Water fairly clear; 60–63 degrees; 0.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Bleeding Shad Rat–L–Traps, Curb’s buzzbaits, and wacky-rigged pumpkinseed in 5–10 feet. White bass are fair vertically jigging Pirk Minnows under birds. Crappie are good on Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on minnows under crappie docks.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 53–62 degrees; 0.6’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on slow–rolled spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. White bass and hybrid striper are fair to good on slabs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 56–60 degrees; 0.24’ high. Largemouth bass to 2 pounds are fair on minnows and crappie jigs at the marina. White bass are slow. Crappie to 2 pounds are good on minnows and jigs tipped with crappie nibbles at the marina. Blue catfish

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 52–59 degrees; 27.16’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, Rat–L–Traps, jigs and Texas-rigged lizards. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 53–61 degrees; 1.48’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs and crankbaits.

Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.

Catfish are fair on prepared bait. Bream are fair on worms. Hybrid striper and white bass are good on slabs and Sassy Shad worked near the bottom.

SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout and redfish are fair while drifting mud and shell. Waders have taken better trout on the Louisiana shoreline on slow–sinking plugs.

SOUTH SABINE: Redfish are fair on the edge of the channel on mullet. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 52–61 degrees; 2.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Texas or Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on small Bass Assassins. Hybrid striper are good on 4” Bass Assassins. Catfish are fair to good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on slow–sinking plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 53–58 degrees; 1.23’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on red Rat–L–Traps and chartreuse/ white chatterbaits — also on watermelon/ red split-shot-rigged flukes and Senkos around shallow cover. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around standing timber in 12–20 feet. White bass are fair to good on Rat–L–Traps and small swimbaits on shallow windy points on the main lake.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good on the north shoreline on Corkies and pink MirrOlures. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. p

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water off-color; 54–60 degrees; 1.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on medium-running shad pattern crankbaits, Texas rigs and spinnerbaits. White bass and hybrid striper are good on slabs, Bass Assassins and live shad. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 60–62 degrees; 7.69’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse and pumpkinseed soft plastics and watermelon Rat–L–Traps. White bass are fair on live minnows and watermelon spinnerbaits.

Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Bream are fair on worms.

Catfish are fair on frozen shrimp, live minnows, and stinkbait.

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 51–58 degrees; 3.5’ low. Largemouth bass are excellent on shallow-running crankbaits and Baby Brush Hogs. Crappie are good on 1/16 oz. jigheads and Tiny Assassins in and around docks. White bass are fair in the upper end of the lake on chartreuse grubs on a 1/4 oz. jighead (spawn has begun). Striped bass and hybrid striper are good in 8–15 feet on slow-rolled 4” Sassy Shad on a 3/4 oz. jighead and Moe’s Shanghai Shad. Catfish are excellent in 3–6 feet on cut bait and fresh shad.

TEXOMA: Water off-color; 51–62 degrees; 0.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are good on live shad and large Road Runners over humps.

Catfish are fair to good on cut and live shad.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 56–62 degrees; 7.34’ low. Largemouth bass are excellent on red Senkos and Xcaliburs sprayed with Kick N Bass on spawning flats. Striped bass are slow. White bass are excellent on olive/brown jigs, live crawfish, and red Rat–L–Traps upriver. Crappie are excellent on shiners and black/chartreuse tube jigs around brush in 3–8 feet. Bream are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver and Catfish Charlie around creek bends in 26–32 feet.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 62–65 degrees; 15.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crawfish crankbaits and pumpkinseed worms in 15–30 feet. White bass are fair on minnows and chrome/white jigging spoons in 25–40 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue/white tube jigs in 20–40 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and cut shad in 35–45 feet.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 9.37’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on watermelon and June bug Rat–L–Traps. Striped bass are fair on minnows and green striper jigs.

White bass are fair on minnows and green striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfish are fair on shrimp and stinkbait.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on the east shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Redfish are good at the spillway on crabs and mullet.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Waders have taken trout in the mud and shell on MirrOlures and Corkies in the afternoon. Trout, sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.

TEXAS CITY: Redfish are fair in Moses Lake on shrimp and crabs. Pier anglers have taken sand trout and mangrove snapper on fresh shrimp. Black drum are beginning to show in the channel.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Redfish are fair to good at San Luis pass on cracked blue crabs. Redfish are fair to good at the mouths of drains on shrimp.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell.

Trout are fair to good in 5 feet of water on Stanley Wedge Tails. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal and at the mouths of drains on jigs tipped with shrimp.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good on the south shoreline in the gutss and bayous. Trout are fair air in the guts on the incoming tide. Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout are fair over reefs in San Antonio Bay on shrimp. Redfish are good at the mouths of drains in streaky water.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair on the edge of the ICW on glow shrimp. Redfish are fair to good in California Hole on mullet and shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good on the ledges of the channel on mullet. Sand trout are good on shrimp in the channel.

Sheepshead are good at the jetty.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the flats. Redfish are fair in the guts running parallel to the shorelines. s.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good in mud and grass on Stanley Wedge Tails. Trout are good in the guts along the King Ranch shoreline.

Redfish are fair around spoils on live bait.

Warmer temperatures have sparked a decent topwaters bite.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are fair to good under a popping cork around grass holes. Trout are fair to good on mud along the edge of the ICW on Wedge Tails and topwaters.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal and at Gas Well Flats on DOA Shrimp. Redfish, black drum and mangrove snapper are fair to good in the channel on shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the flats on soft plastics under popping corks around Cullen Bay and Airport Cove. Trout are good at Laguna Vista on shrimp and scented baits.

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER OPENING UP ON RABBITS AT NIGHT Lamb County Game Warden Lance May and Hockley County Game Warden Jay Oyler observed a spotlight working from the roadway at night.

While following the suspect vehicle the wardens observed the vehicle stop, back up, and the occupants discharge approximately 25 rounds into a cotton field at rabbits. The vehicle fled for approximately two miles before stopping. Two subjects were charged with hunting nongame from public roadway and discharging a firearm from public roadway. Cases pending.

BUT WE JUST GOT ONE Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer received a call from a Milam County sheriff’s deputy who had a vehicle stopped with individuals he believed were road hunting.

The two individuals were questioned about their suspicious activity, and said they were hunting hogs from the road and had just shot one before the deputy showed up. Cases pending.

METH AND POACHING DON’T MIX A fire on a ranch in Sutton County burned a hunting camp. Game warden Will Allison assisted the fire department in locating the camp. When they arrived, the officers found the structure completely engulfed in flames. Allison noticed a shadow that was being cast by the flames onto the adjacent barn that turned out to be a freshly killed buck deer hanging from a tree. Methamphetamine production is believed to be the cause of the fire. Poaching case filed and restitution pending.

OUTSTANDING ARREST WARRANT GOOD REASON TO BUY FISHING LICENSE Polk County Game Wardens Ryan Hall and David Johnson were patrolling the Trinity River below the Lake Livingston Dam and encountered a group of five people fishing without a license. One of the subjects had

ARCHER ACCIDENTLY CUTS ARTERY WITH BROADHEAD An archery hunter was hunting pigs in Red River County when an arrow dropped out of his quiver without his knowledge.

The hunter accidentally kicked the arrow with his left foot, driving the arrow into his leg, cutting an artery. Titus County

an outstanding arrest warrant from Montgomery County. Subject was taken to the Polk County Jail.

WARDEN’S RUN LEADS TO ILLEGAL GILL NET FIND While on an off-duty run along the Falcon Lake dam, Starr County Game Warden Drew Spencer observed two men in a flat-bottom boat cross the Rio Grande River from Mexico and tie an illegal gill net onto brush on the Texas shoreline. Starr County Game Warden Brandon West and Zapata County Game Wardens Jerry Norris and Shane Bailey were called to assist. The wardens launched downriver from the illegal commercial activity, came upriver, and found even more gill net than had been observed.

The wardens seized approximately 1,650 feet of illegal gill net.

ILLEGALLY SHOT DEER FOUND ON PATIO Bandera County Game Warden Jeff Carter received a call from a property owner at Medina Lake in reference to a deer that was found dead on someone’s patio. The deer had been there overnight and had an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.

After skinning out the deer, a single .22-caliber bullet was found. The deer had several old gunshot wounds that had healed. Investigation continues.

BUCK DISTURBING THE PEACE Lampasas Game Warden Jim Lindeman received a call from the City of Kempner regarding an overly aggressive 4-point buck chasing folks around the

Game Warden Jerry Ash and Morris County Game Warden Michael Serbanic responded.

Fortunately, the hunt-

city hall and post office. Lindeman was able to subdue and relocate the deer.

HOG HUNTERS FORGOT TO BUY LICENSE Just before midnight, Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash received information from an officer who had stopped a vehicle for speeding. The two subjects in the vehicle said they were from Wisconsin and had just finished hog hunting on a local day-lease ranch. The officer asked them for their hunting licenses and discovered that neither had one. Citations were issued.

ANIMAL ISSUES ALL IN A DAY’S WORK Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash received two animal complaints on the same day — a hawk stuck in a pharmacy’s building and a deer stuck in a hog trap. The deer was safely removed. The hawk managed to find its way into the false ceiling and was unable to be removed.

BOAT ACCIDENT AT JETTY UNDER INVESTIGATION Brazoria County Game Wardens Jim Bob Van Dyke, Jason Richers and Scott Jennings responded to a boat accident in Freeport. An early morning fisherman reported finding a boat that had run aground on the Freeport jetties. The 45-foot Cabo was completely out of the water and resting on top of the jetty. The wardens found blood in the boat, as well as a wallet that was used to locate an individual who admitted to being a passenger in the boat when it ran aground. The passenger and opera-

er’s partner was close by and applied a tourniquet to control the bleeding until a transport helicopter arrived.

tor had received minor injuries when the boat hit the jetties at approximately 9:30 the night before, and had walked off the jetty after calling a friend for a ride home.

MAN CAN’T DUMP SMALL FISH FAST ENOUGH Game Wardens Zack Moerbe, Jared Self and Andrew Banda checked some fishermen at Balmorhea Lake. Moerbe noticed one individual trying to sneak some small bass back into the canal.

In his bucket were three undersized bass. When asked what he was going to do with those small fish, the individual responded that he was going to cut them up and use them as bait.

PAIR FOUND WITH 30 UNDERSIZED RED AND BLACK DRUM Brazoria County Game Warden Jason Richers and Fort Bend County Game Warden Mike Weiss patrolled the San Bernard River and found two individuals in possession of 20 undersized redfish and 17 black drum, 10 of which were undersized.

Cases pending.

BIG BUCK CONTESTANT BOUGHT LICENSE A LITTLE TOO LATE Wood County Game Wardens Derek Spitzer and Kurt Kelley recently received information about a Big Buck contest with an entry of a nice 20-point buck that scored 189 B&C. The wardens learned that the contestant purchased his hunting license later in the afternoon of the day the deer was killed. Cases pending.

GOOD SNAPPER TRIP GOES BAD District IV Game Wardens Jason Duke and Oscar Castaneda were notified that nine individuals failed to purchase fishing licenses before leaving on a snapper fishing trip near Port Mansfield. The game wardens waited for the return of the vessel, and an inspection found daily limits of large red snapper that were taken a short distance out in the Gulf. The nine individuals were asked to provide their fishing licenses. One of the subjects finally spoke up and informed the game wardens that they did not take the time to buy the required licenses. Citations were issued, and 36 snapper were taken away from the fishing group.

WAKE-UP CALL TO WARDEN BRINGS CITATIONS At midnight, Cameron County Game Warden Libby Balusek received a call in reference to shots being fired from a public road. After arriving in the general vicinity, Balusek observed a vehicle shining a spotlight in a pasture. With assistance from Cameron County deputies, she made contact with six subjects who were hunting rabbits using dogs. The group did have permission from the landowner to hunt, but only one subject had a valid hunting license. Citations were issued to those lacking a license.

TRIP NOT GOOD EXCUSE FOR NOT PULLING CRAB TRAPS Approximately 40 crab traps were removed from the San Antonio Bay complex by district wardens. Calhoun County Game Warden Mike Mitchell contacted the licensed crab fisherman whose tags were on the crab traps. The individual responded that he had recently traveled abroad and didn't want to pick his traps up during the closure. He has been charged with crabbing in closed season.

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Ranchers have high hopes for pronghorn relocation effort

By John R. Meyer FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS When researchers and state biologists labored to relocate 200 pronghorn antelope from the Panhandle down to the Trans-Pecos region the last week of February, ranchers were eager to lend support.

Biologists and graduate students may come and go, but the ranchers have been living in this arid country for generations.

They recall when pronghorn were plentiful, but in recent years the species has been dwindling to critical levels.

Rick Tate, who ranches out on the Valentine Flat, recalled his drive into town as a child living a few miles southeast of Marathon.

“When we’d go to school we’d see two or three bunches of 30,” he said. “They would play with the car and kind of run along the highway.

“Today, you might see two bunches of five.”

Bill Miller and his family have been ranching a few miles west of Valentine for several decades. He has also been part of the Trans-Pecos Pronghorn Working Group — ranchers and researchers intent on solving the mystery of the decline.

He said the adding of Panhandle pronghorn to the local herd is a relief of pressure from continued studies on the remaining native animals. The population had gotten so low, it was getting prohibitive to study the survivors, due to the inevitable stress associated with human contact.

When referring to the population crisis, he asks hypothetically, “Is this an indicator of something else?”

Soberly, he continued, “We just as soon not think about it, but there might not be an answer.

“We’re used to having them and they’re not around anymore ... It was nothing to see two to three hundred on the way from Marfa to Valentine.

“Now there’s none.”

The low ebb has not surprised the biologists at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department who fly annual aerial surveys monitoring the population.

What has the scientific and ranching communities scratching their heads is the lack of a culprit.

Even adequate rainfall has failed to help with the current downward trend.

Researchers at Sul Ross State University are trying to determine if a parasite, the barber pole bloodworm, is the culprit.

Despite pockets of healthy animals, most people in the area know they are never far from being in the same struggle. This empathy has brought ranchers together to join researchers on the working group.

Their synergy has impressed James Weaver, a graduate student at Sul Ross University’s Department of Natural Resource Management.

Weaver has been involved in the bloodworm research, and he has worked closely with landowners.

He credited them for helping to raise the money needed to relocate the 200 Panhandle pronghorns. The animals were released on area ranches.

“The landowners really have pulled together,” Weaver said. “With their help, we were able to raise over $50,000.

“They donated their time and money to see this happen and I really cannot say enough about them.”

For cynics with visions of ranchers painting dollar signs on the sides of harvestable bucks, not so fast.

“Landowners came up with the idea of not hunting in and around the release sites for a couple of years or more, to ensure that the restoration has a chance to work,” Weaver said.

In most cases, this also includes any pre-existing animals.

The ranchers hope to see a day when pronghorns are once again a common sight along the highways.

For some who have never been to the area, visions of James Dean in cowboy boots might be their primary reference. His movie Giant was filmed near Marfa.

But for those who make their living there, and even for many who’ve just driven through, the pronghorn has been as much a part of the landscape as waves of grass rolling in the wind.

Miller’s view of the pronghorn sums up well the big picture he and others in the TPPWG see.

“The pronghorn is the flagship animal of the Plains,” he said.

AIRBORNE OPERATION: Panhandle pronghorns, ensnared by net guns, are flown by sling to a staging area where they are loaded into trailers for a nine-hour drive to their new homes near Marfa. Pronghorn antelope near Dalhart are prepared for transport from the Panhandle to the Trans-Pecos region. Photos by Earl Nottingham, TPWD.

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Adapting

Commandos

Continued From Page 1

Continued From Page 1

because of a change of the weather or fishing a new lake begins with finding structure — specifically rocks.

“My strategy is to find rocks,” he said. “Rocks usually hold heat in cold water. I’ll throw a Rat-LTrap, which is always a good search bait.”

Schiele said when the water temperature drops, he likes to go against conventional wisdom and fish his baits faster.

“I’ve found when it’s cold, I run my bait about twice as fast,” he said. “I try and get a reactionary bite.”

Longtime Lake Fork guide Tom Evans said he likes to search for fish with a crankbait and spinnerbait and cover a lot of water.

“I’ll fish until I get hit,” he said. “I’ll keep working different depths with a crankbait or spinnerbait and try and get a bite. Once I get a bite, I’ll concentrate on that area and throw other things until I get bit again.

“Jigs are good once you’ve located a few fish.”

Lake Amistad guide James Burkeen looks for creek channels when he is fishing new water.

“The first thing I look for are creeks entering the lake,” he said. “I find the points and throw a jerkbait like a Pointer 100 DD. I’ll start working along the points and deep edges.

“Anywhere there is a bend or two.”

Burkeen said after he locates a fish or two, he will try a finesse tactic to hone in on the fish.

“I’ll try a Texas-rigged worm to try and get a strike,” he said. “Maybe go to a football ¼-ounce jig in shallow water. I don’t think fish move that far (when water temperatures change).

“They might get sluggish, but for the most part, they are still there.”

Burkeen said the entire winter on Lake Amistad, the water temperature hovered around 54 degrees, until a major cold front hit in early February.

“I was on a pattern the entire winter where I would cast shallow and catch fish in 8 or 9 feet of water,” he said. “Then the cold front hit and I backed off a little bit and got a little deeper — 17 to 18 feet.

“I started catching them again on Texas-rigged flukes. But that isn’t my specialty. I like to move fast and locate fish with a jerkbait. Once I’ve found them, I’ll throw that football jig or a Carolina rig if I know there are fish there. On Amistad and Choke Canyon, a jerkbait will put a lot of fish in the boat.”

a small herd of creatures noisily feeding and fussing with each other. The men silently step within 40 yards of the beasts and open fire with futuristic semiautomatic weapons.

But this is not science fiction — it’s a typical night in the field, shooting feral swine with Clark Osborne and Jed Dreher of Tactical Hog Control.

“A lot of people say assault rifles are not suited for hunting,” Osborne said. “Well, we beg to differ.”

The company began only two years ago, but its spotand-stalk techniques have sealed the fate of an esti- SPACE-AGE HOG KILLING: High-tech rifle scopes using thermal imaging pinpoint feral hogs in the dead of night by mated 2,400 hogs within an detecting their heat signatures. Tactical Hog Control of Madisonville uses these scopes and others with night-vision hour’s drive of the company’s technology to hunt hogs from behind a cloak of darkness. Photo by Tactical Hog Control, for LSON. base at Madisonville.

They’ve even reached urban areas like An AR-10 rifle, Osborne said, is the They sneak through fields “cheap” part, starting at about $1,000 each.

Irving and Arlington. Estimates have with night-vision goggles, and quickly The night-vision optics cost much more. put their numbers at about two million knock down entire herds with AR-10 Some have criticized the company, in Texas, but some believe there may be rifles chambered in .308.

The weapons are dressed with sound saying the high-tech gear gives hunters a lot more.

It’s not uncommon for a farmer to suppressors and night-vision or thermal an unfair advantage, but the owners say sights, bringing the weight to about 17 they’re simply guarding against a seem- spend about $3,000 for hog damage, ingly constant wave of hog depredations. Dreher said. Over time, he said, the pounds.

Modern military commandos use this The aforementioned “moonscape” $6,000 or more he spends on an AR rig technology, but Tactical Hog Control was actually ground rooted up by hogs is money well spent. lets paying clients use the gear on guided on Osborne’s property.

“As an investment, it levels the playing hunts.

But Dreher, a fireman for College field,” he said. “And, besides, it’s fun.”

The feral hog, according to the state of Station, also operates a family ranch The company stays booked with cliTexas, is not a game animal but a nuisance beset by wild pigs. ents wanting to go on their guided that’s responsible for about $400 million “I planted a hayfield Mother’s Day hunts, and there is no shortage of landin agricultural damages each year. weekend in 1996 … in a drought,” he owners requesting their services.

So, unlike deer, the state allows them recalled. “It wasn’t the smartest thing to Osborne noted, however, that conto be hunted at night, and by “any legal do, but I did it. trolling hogs requires a multi-faceted means.”

“Well the hogs just flipped it upside approach that includes trappers, dog Osborne, who runs a machine shop handlers and hunters doing the best during the day, has a Federal Firearms down.”

The animals, in recent years, have they can even without high-tech gear.

License to manufacture and sell sound moved from east of the Interstate 35 cor“We’re not the solution,” Osborne suppressors.

All the other military gear is available ridor into parts of West Texas, including said. “We’re just part of it, and so is the Panhandle. everyone else.” for purchase, but it’s expensive.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

March 11, 2011

Page 17

HEROES

JOE MARTINEZ of Agua Dulce caught this largemouth bass in January on Falcon Reservoir. He caught the 11-pounder in 15 feet of water on the Mexican side of the lake. He said the lunker was full of eggs when he released her back into the water.

CONNOR CHAVEZ, 6, of Harlingen shot his first doe recently in Willacy County.

WILLIAM NEELY, 12, of Dallas, took this 12-point buck near Winona. His Diamond Edge bow had a 50-pound draw weight.

TODD TRULY of Arlington caught this red drum on light tackle and a soft plastic lure while wade fishing in upper San Antonio Bay. Daughters Skylar (left) and Taylor (right) joined him.

Congratulations, Will! You can claim your Nikon 10 X 42 Trailblazer ATB binoculars at the Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you: McBride’s Guns Inc. 2915 San Gabriel St Austin, TX 78705-3532 (512) 472-3532 Reynolds season on the t buck last deer round from rs e fi s on hi th ok wi to d 8, of Austin phy was droppe tro s xa Te t WILL LIARDON, es is W berts. erling City. Th red in .257 Ro Ranch near St r No. 1 chambe ge Ru t ho -s le Will’s sing

STEVE DRUMMOND of Southlake used light tackle and soft plastics to catch this black drum while wade fishing earlier this winter in upper San Antonio Bay.

Page 18

March 11, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides

First

Time Height 11:51 a.m. 1.8 L

6:14 p.m.

6:53 p.m.

2:44 p.m.

3:01 p.m.

3:18 p.m.

3:37 p.m.

3:57 p.m.

4:16 p.m.

4:32 p.m.

Time Height 3:06 p.m. 2.0 H

2.0 L 1.6 L 2.0 H 2.0 H 2.0 H 2.0 H 2.0 H 2.1 H 2.1 H

10:43 p.m. 2.1 H

Time Height 10:28 a.m. 1.6 H 4:03 p.m. 1.7 H 5:18 p.m. 1.7 H 2:44 p.m. 1.7 H 3:00 p.m. 1.7 H 3:15 p.m. 1.6 H 8:03 a.m. -0.1 L 8:57 a.m. 0.1 L 9:49 a.m. 0.4 L 10:41 a.m. 0.9 L 11:35 a.m. 1.1 L 12:33 p.m. 1.4 L 8:49 a.m. 2.1 H 10:14 a.m. 2.1 H 11:50 a.m. 2.0 H

Time Height 12:17 p.m. 1.4 L

Time Height 3:53 p.m. 1.6 H

Time Height 10:58 a.m. 0.9 H 4:33 p.m. 1.0 H 5:48 p.m. 1.0 H 3:14 p.m. 1.0 H 3:30 p.m. 1.0 H 8:03 a.m. -0.2 L 8:59 a.m. -0.1 L 9:53 a.m. 0.1 L 10:45 a.m. 0.3 L 11:37 a.m. 0.5 L 12:31 p.m. 0.7 L 8:00 a.m. 1.3 H 9:19 a.m. 1.3 H 10:44 a.m. 1.3 H 12:20 p.m. 1.2 H

Time Height 1:13 p.m. 0.9 L

Time Height 9:50 a.m. 1.4 H 3:25 p.m. 1.5 H 4:40 p.m. 1.5 H 2:06 p.m. 1.5 H 2:22 p.m. 1.5 H 2:37 p.m. 1.4 H 8:00 a.m. -0.1 L 8:54 a.m. 0.1 L 9:46 a.m. 0.3 L 10:38 a.m. 0.5 L 11:32 a.m. 0.7 L 12:30 p.m. 0.9 L 8:11 a.m. 1.8 H 9:36 a.m. 1.8 H 11:12 a.m. 1.7 H

Time Height 12:14 p.m. 0.9 L

7:36 p.m.

8:22 p.m.

9:10 p.m.

9:59 p.m.

10:51 p.m.

11:45 p.m.

1.3 L 0.7 L 0.2 L -0.2 L -0.5 L -0.5 L

Date Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 13 Mar 14 Mar 15 Mar 16 Mar 17 Mar 18 Mar 19 Mar 20 Mar 21 Mar 22 Mar 23 Mar 24 Mar 25

April 1

March 25

Time 3:27 a.m.

4:38 a.m.

7:02 a.m.

8:24 a.m.

9:36 a.m.

10:37 a.m.

11:32 a.m.

3:44 a.m.

6:04 a.m.

12:00 a.m.

12:56 a.m.

1:50 a.m.

2:47 a.m.

3:46 a.m.

4:52 a.m.

Houston Height -0.1 L -0.1 L -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.1 L 0.0 L 0.6 H 0.6 H 0.1 L 0.0 L -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.2 L -0.2 L

Time Height 5:16 p.m. 0.7 H 6:02 p.m. 0.8 H 7:49 p.m. 0.8 H 8:39 p.m. 0.8 H 9:35 p.m. 0.8 H 11:09 p.m. 0.7 H 12:23 p.m.

1:08 p.m.

7:56 a.m.

9:54 a.m.

4:47 p.m.

5:25 p.m.

6:08 p.m.

6:50 p.m.

0.1 L 0.3 L 0.7 H 0.7 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H

Time

7:08 p.m.

5:40 p.m.

1:43 p.m.

1:44 p.m.

Height

0.4 H 0.4 H 0.4 L 0.6 L

Time

Height

10:56 p.m. 0.3 L 4:48 p.m. 0.5 H 4:29 p.m. 0.7 H

Rockport

6:40 p.m.

7:19 p.m.

3:31 p.m.

3:48 p.m.

4:05 p.m.

4:24 p.m.

4:44 p.m.

5:03 p.m.

1:43 p.m.

1.6 L 1.3 L 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.7 H 1.6 L

11:30 p.m. 1.7 H 8:02 p.m.

8:48 p.m.

9:36 p.m.

10:25 p.m.

11:17 p.m.

1.0 L 0.6 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.4 L

5:19 p.m. 1.7 H

Date Time Height Mar 11 5:03 a.m. -0.16 L Mar 12 6:05 a.m. -0.16 L Mar 13 8:08 a.m. -0.16 L Mar 14 9:09 a.m. -0.16 L Mar 15 10:06 a.m. -0.14 L Mar 16 1:01 a.m. 0.18 H Mar 17 2:17 a.m. 0.17 H Mar 18 3:58 a.m. 0.15 H Mar 19 6:19 a.m. 0.13 H Mar 20 12:22 a.m. -0.01 L Mar 21 1:43 a.m. -0.04 L Mar 22 2:51 a.m. -0.07 L Mar 23 3:54 a.m. -0.08 L Mar 24 4:57 a.m. -0.07 L Mar 25 6:02 a.m. -0.05 L

Time Height 8:02 p.m. 0.11 H 8:59 p.m. 0.13 H 10:57 p.m. 0.16 H 11:56 p.m. 0.17 H 10:58 a.m. -0.11 L 11:45 a.m. -0.06 L 12:26 p.m. 0.00 L 12:49 p.m. 0.07 L 4:13 p.m. 0.15 H 4:29 p.m. 0.21 H 5:17 p.m. 0.25 H 6:20 p.m. 0.28 H 7:32 p.m. 0.29 H 8:50 p.m. 0.30 H

Time

Height

Time

Height

7:36 p.m.

3:45 p.m.

4:01 p.m.

4:18 p.m.

4:35 p.m.

4:54 p.m.

5:14 p.m.

1:29 p.m.

2:39 p.m.

0.9 L 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 L 0.9 L

Date Time Height Mar 11 12:24 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 12 1:23 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 13 3:30 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 14 4:40 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 15 5:46 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 16 6:46 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 17 1:04 a.m. 1.4 H Mar 18 2:27 a.m. 1.5 H Mar 19 3:43 a.m. 1.6 H Mar 20 4:56 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 21 6:09 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 22 7:23 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 23 8:42 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 24 12:50 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 25 1:57 a.m. -0.2 L

Time Height 4:23 p.m. 0.9 H

8:15 p.m.

8:58 p.m.

9:44 p.m.

10:32 p.m.

11:21 p.m.

0.8 L 0.6 L 0.3 L 0.1 L -0.1 L

5:33 p.m. 1.0 H 5:49 p.m. 1.0 H

Time Height 10:21 a.m. 1.3 H 3:56 p.m. 1.4 H 5:11 p.m. 1.4 H 2:37 p.m. 1.4 H 2:53 p.m. 1.4 H 3:08 p.m. 1.3 H 7:42 a.m. -0.1 L 8:36 a.m. 0.1 L 9:28 a.m. 0.2 L 10:20 a.m. 0.5 L 11:14 a.m. 0.6 L 12:12 p.m. 0.8 L 1:22 p.m. 0.8 L 10:07 a.m. 1.7 H 11:43 a.m. 1.6 H

6:24 p.m.

4:51 p.m.

0.05 H 0.09 H

10:21 p.m. 0.03 L

Time Height 11:56 a.m. 0.8 L

6:19 p.m.

6:58 p.m.

3:24 p.m.

3:41 p.m.

3:58 p.m.

4:17 p.m.

4:37 p.m.

4:56 p.m.

5:12 p.m.

0.8 L 0.7 L 1.3 H 1.3 H 1.3 H 1.3 H 1.3 H 1.4 H 1.4 H

Time Height 3:46 p.m. 1.3 H

11:23 p.m. 0.4 H 7:41 p.m.

8:27 p.m.

9:15 p.m.

10:04 p.m.

10:56 p.m.

11:50 p.m.

0.5 L 0.3 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.2 L -0.2 L

Time

Height

South Padre Island

Freeport Harbor

6:37 p.m.

7:16 p.m.

2:53 p.m.

3:10 p.m.

3:27 p.m.

3:46 p.m.

4:06 p.m.

4:25 p.m.

1:40 p.m.

1.0 L 0.8 L 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.0 L

Time Height 3:15 p.m. 1.4 H

10:52 p.m. 1.5 H 7:59 p.m.

8:45 p.m.

9:33 p.m.

10:22 p.m.

11:14 p.m.

0.6 L 0.4 L 0.1 L -0.1 L 0.3 L

4:41 p.m. 1.5 H

Date Time Height Mar 11 12:19 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 12 1:20 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 13 3:28 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 14 4:39 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 15 5:46 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 16 6:51 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 17 7:53 a.m. 0.0 L Mar 18 1:38 a.m. 1.3 H Mar 19 3:10 a.m. 1.3 H Mar 20 4:36 a.m. 1.4 H Mar 21 6:00 a.m. 1.4 H Mar 22 7:27 a.m. 1.5 H Mar 23 9:02 a.m. 1.5 H Mar 24 12:44 a.m. -0.6 L Mar 25 1:47 a.m. -0.5 L

Time Height 11:30 a.m. 1.3 H 12:36 p.m. 1.4 H 2:16 p.m. 1.5 H 2:45 p.m. 1.5 H 3:06 p.m. 1.5 H 3:18 p.m. 1.4 H 3:23 p.m. 1.2 H 8:53 a.m. 0.1 L 9:54 a.m. 0.4 L 10:58 a.m. 0.6 L 12:08 p.m. 0.8 L 11:46 p.m. -0.6 L 10:45 a.m.

12:18 p.m.

2011 Mar 11 Fri 12 Sat Q 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri > 19 Sat > 20 Sun F 21 Mon > 22 Tue > 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri 26 Sat Q 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 10:04 3:51 10:58 4:45 12:25 6:39 1:18 7:32 2:09 8:23 2:59 9:12 3:47 10:00 4:35 10:49 5:26 11:39 6:20 12:06 7:19 1:05 8:22 2:08 9:28 3:13 10:32 4:17 11:33 5:19 12:05 6:16 12:55 7:08 1:42 7:54 2:24 8:35 3:03 9:13

P.M. Minor 10:29 11:25 12:53 1:46 2:37 3:26 4:14 5:02 5:52 6:48 7:48 8:52 9:57 11:01 ----12:29 1:20 2:05 2:46 3:24

Major 4:16 5:12 7:06 8:00 8:51 9:40 10:27 11:15 ----12:34 1:33 2:37 3:42 4:47 5:47 6:43 7:33 8:17 8:57 9:34

SUN Rises Sets 06:36 06:26 06:34 06:27 07:33 07:27 07:32 07:28 07:31 07:28 07:30 07:29 07:29 07:30 07:27 07:30 07:26 07:31 07:25 07:31 07:24 07:32 07:23 07:33 07:21 07:33 07:20 07:34 07:19 07:34 07:18 07:35 07:17 07:36 07:15 07:36 07:14 07:37 07:13 07:37

MOON Rises Sets 10:23a NoMoon 11:14a 12:47a 1:11p 2:41a 2:13p 3:32a 3:18p 4:20a 4:26p 5:04a 5:34p 5:45a 6:42p 6:24a 7:50p 7:02a 9:00p 7:41a 10:10p 8:23a 11:19p 9:09a NoMoon 9:59a 12:25a 10:54a 1:25a 11:51a 2:18a 12:49p 3:05a 1:47p 3:45a 2:44p 4:21a 3:39p 4:53a 4:32p

Dallas

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier

San Luis Pass

Date Time Height Mar 11 12:42 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 12 1:41 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 13 3:48 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 14 4:58 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 15 6:04 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 16 7:04 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 17 12:33 a.m. 1.5 H Mar 18 1:56 a.m. 1.6 H Mar 19 3:12 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 20 4:25 a.m. 1.8 H Mar 21 5:38 a.m. 1.8 H Mar 22 6:52 a.m. 1.8 H Mar 23 12:08 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 24 1:08 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 25 2:15 a.m. -0.2 L

Last

March 18

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

New

Port O’Connor Time Height 9:41 a.m. 2.0 H 3:16 p.m. 2.1 H 4:31 p.m. 2.1 H 1:57 p.m. 2.1 H 2:13 p.m. 2.1 H 2:28 p.m. 2.0 H 7:37 a.m. -0.2 L 8:31 a.m. 0.2 L 9:23 a.m. 0.5 L 10:15 a.m. 1.1 L 11:09 a.m. 1.4 L 12:07 p.m. 1.8 L 1:17 p.m. 2.0 L 9:27 a.m. 2.7 H 11:03 a.m. 2.5 H

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty

Date Time Height Mar 11 1:41 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 12 2:40 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 13 4:47 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 14 5:57 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 15 7:03 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 16 12:00 a.m. 1.0 H Mar 17 1:41 a.m. 1.0 H Mar 18 3:04 a.m. 1.1 H Mar 19 4:20 a.m. .2 H Mar 20 5:33 a.m. 1.3 H Mar 21 6:46 a.m. 1.3 H Mar 22 12:13 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 23 1:07 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 24 2:07 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 25 3:14 a.m. 0.2 L

Full

March 11

Sabine Pass, jetty

Date Time Height Mar 11 12:45 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 12 1:44 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 13 3:51 a.m. -0.1 L Mar 14 5:01 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 15 6:07 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 16 7:07 a.m. -0.3 L Mar 17 1:11 a.m. 1.7 H Mar 18 2:34 a.m. 1.9 H Mar 19 3:50 a.m. 2.0 H Mar 20 5:03 a.m. 2.1 H Mar 21 6:16 a.m. 2.1 H Mar 22 7:30 a.m. 2.1 H Mar 23 12:11 a.m. -0.4 L Mar 24 1:11 a.m. -0.4 L Mar 25 2:18 a.m. -0.3 L

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases

Texas Coast Tides Date Time Height Mar 11 12:19 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 12 1:18 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 13 3:25 a.m. -0.2 L Mar 14 4:35 a.m. -0.4 L Mar 15 5:41 a.m. -0.4 L Mar 16 6:41 a.m. -0.4 L Mar 17 12:24 a.m. 2.1 H Mar 18 1:47 a.m. 2.3 H Mar 19 3:03 a.m. 2.5 H Mar 20 4:16 a.m. 2.7 H Mar 21 5:29 a.m. 2.7 H Mar 22 6:43 a.m. 2.7 H Mar 23 8:02 a.m. 2.7 H Mar 24 12:45 a.m. -0.5 L Mar 25 1:52 a.m. -0.4 L

LSONews.com

Time

8:10 p.m.

8:18 p.m.

3:22 p.m.

3:17 p.m.

3:07 p.m.

2:50 p.m.

Height

1.1 L 0.9 L 1.0 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H

11:47 p.m. 1.2 H 8:46 p.m.

9:23 p.m.

10:06 p.m.

10:54 p.m.

0.5 L 0.1 L -0.2 L -0.5 L

1.5 H 1.5 H

2011 Mar 11 Fri 12 Sat Q 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri > 19 Sat > 20 Sun F 21 Mon > 22 Tue > 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri 26 Sat Q 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 10:09 3:56 11:04 4:50 12:30 6:44 1:23 7:37 2:15 8:29 3:04 9:18 3:52 10:06 4:41 10:54 5:31 11:45 6:26 12:12 7:25 1:11 8:28 2:13 9:33 3:18 10:38 4:23 11:39 5:25 12:11 6:22 1:01 7:13 1:47 7:59 2:29 8:40 3:08 9:19

P.M. Minor Major 10:35 4:22 11:31 5:17 12:58 7:12 1:51 8:05 2:42 8:56 3:32 9:45 4:19 10:33 5:07 11:21 5:58 ----6:53 12:39 7:53 1:39 8:57 2:42 10:03 3:48 11:07 4:52 ----- 5:53 12:35 6:48 1:26 7:38 2:11 8:23 2:52 9:03 3:29 9:40

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 06:42 06:30 10:21a 12:05a 06:41 06:31 11:12a 1:01a 07:40 07:32 1:09p 2:55a 07:38 07:33 2:12p 3:45a 07:37 07:33 3:18p 4:32a 07:36 07:34 4:28p 5:14a 07:35 07:35 5:37p 5:53a 07:33 07:35 6:47p 6:30a 07:32 07:36 7:58p 7:07a 07:31 07:37 9:10p 7:44a 07:29 07:38 10:22p 8:24a 07:28 07:38 11:32p 9:08a 07:27 07:39 NoMoon 9:57a 07:25 07:40 12:38a 10:51a 07:24 07:40 1:38a 11:48a 07:23 07:41 2:31a 12:47p 07:21 07:42 3:17a 1:46p 07:20 07:42 3:57a 2:44p 07:19 07:43 4:31a 3:41p 07:17 07:44 5:02a 4:35p

P.M. Minor Major 10:42 4:29 11:38 5:24 1:05 7:19 1:58 8:12 2:49 9:03 3:39 9:52 4:26 10:40 5:14 11:28 6:05 ----7:00 12:46 8:00 1:46 9:04 2:49 10:10 3:55 11:14 4:59 ----- 6:00 12:42 6:55 1:33 7:45 2:18 8:30 2:59 9:10 3:36 9:47

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 06:48 06:39 10:37a 12:04a 06:47 06:39 11:28a 12:59a 07:46 07:40 1:25p 2:53a 07:45 07:40 2:27p 3:44a 07:43 07:41 3:32p 4:32a 07:42 07:42 4:39p 5:16a 07:41 07:42 5:47p 5:57a 07:40 07:43 6:55p 6:36a 07:39 07:43 8:03p 7:15a 07:37 07:44 9:13p 7:54a 07:36 07:45 10:23p 8:37a 07:35 07:45 11:32p 9:23a 07:34 07:46 NoMoon 10:13a 07:33 07:46 12:37a 11:07a 07:32 07:47 1:37a 12:04p 07:30 07:47 2:30a 1:03p 07:29 07:48 3:17a 2:01p 07:28 07:48 3:57a 2:57p 07:27 07:49 4:33a 3:52p 07:26 07:50 5:06a 4:45p

P.M. Minor 10:55 11:51 1:18 2:12 3:03 3:52 4:40 5:28 6:18 7:13 8:13 9:17 10:23 11:27 ----12:55 1:46 2:31 3:12 3:49

SUN Rises 07:04 07:02 08:01 07:59 07:58 07:57 07:55 07:54 07:52 07:51 07:50 07:48 07:47 07:45 07:44 07:43 07:41 07:40 07:38 07:37

San Antonio 2011 A.M. Mar Minor Major 11 Fri 10:16 4:03 12 Sat Q 11:11 4:57 13 Sun 12:37 6:51 14 Mon 1:30 7:44 15 Tue 2:22 8:36 16 Wed 3:11 9:25 17 Thu 3:59 10:13 18 Fri > 4:48 11:01 19 Sat > 5:38 11:52 20 Sun F 6:33 12:19 21 Mon > 7:32 1:18 22 Tue > 8:35 2:20 23 Wed 9:40 3:25 24 Thu 10:45 4:30 25 Fri 11:46 5:32 26 Sat Q 12:18 6:29 27 Sun 1:08 7:20 28 Mon 1:54 8:06 29 Tue 2:36 8:47 30 Wed 3:15 9:26

Amarillo

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OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen

Solution on Page 26

2011 A.M. Mar Minor 11 Fri 10:30 12 Sat Q 11:24 13 Sun 12:51 14 Mon 1:44 15 Tue 2:35 16 Wed 3:25 17 Thu 4:13 18 Fri > 5:01 19 Sat > 5:52 20 Sun F 6:46 21 Mon > 7:45 22 Tue > 8:48 23 Wed 9:53 24 Thu 10:58 25 Fri 11:59 26 Sat Q 12:31 27 Sun 1:21 28 Mon 2:08 29 Tue 2:50 30 Wed 3:28

Major 4:17 5:11 7:05 7:58 8:49 9:38 10:26 11:14 ----12:32 1:31 2:34 3:39 4:43 5:45 6:42 7:33 8:19 9:01 9:39

Major 4:42 5:38 7:32 8:26 9:17 10:06 10:53 11:41 12:05 1:00 1:59 3:03 4:08 5:12 6:13 7:09 7:59 8:43 9:23 10:00

Sets 06:50 06:51 07:51 07:52 07:53 07:54 07:55 07:56 07:56 07:57 07:58 07:59 07:59 08:00 08:01 08:02 08:03 08:03 08:04 08:05

MOON Rises 10:36a 11:27a 1:24p 2:27p 3:35p 4:46p 5:57p 7:09p 8:21p 9:34p 10:47p NoMoon NoMoon 1:06a 2:06a 2:59a 3:44a 4:22a 4:55a 5:25a

Sets 12:32a 1:28a 3:22a 4:12a 4:58a 5:39a 6:17a 6:52a 7:27a 8:03a 8:42a 9:25a 10:13a 11:06a 12:03p 1:02p 2:02p 3:01p 3:59p 4:55p

FOR THE TABLE Bass with Avocado Sauce

ACROSS 1. The size of a bullet or shell 4. A floating fly lure 7. A stove fuel 8. An action in a gun mechanism 10. This is reddish on whitetail summer coat 12. Type of bullet, _____ jacket 14. A name for a trout 17. Name for a cold weather tent 18. To aim ahead of moving game 19. A very good gun dog 21. Hunters give this TLC 22. The fishing gear 25. The archer's weapon 26. A cloth used to sharpen fishhooks 28. Do this while scouting hunting routes 29. Very large game of the plains 33. Fishing from a moving boat 34. Large member of the deer family 35. A game bird, ___white 36. Act of losing an antler 37. A fish’s breathing organ 38. Fur seeker's equipment 39. A perch species

40. A name for the strawberry bass DOWN 1. Shoulder hides on deer 2. The animal hideaway 3. Add to lake water for safe drinking 4. A type of lure 5. Hunting or fishing equipment 6. The camper's bed 7. Full-grown member of the deer family 9. Appendage on a pheasant's foot 11. Seeks game and wildfowl 13. Fish eggs 14. A lake bird 15. A female turkey 16. Field area you find quail 17. Act of a fish hitting the bait 20. Describes a wild turkey's vision 23. Quail young

24. A young hunter’s adventure 25. A deer resting place 27. A name for the calling turkeys 28. Estimating freshness of game tracks

30. Another name for the largemouth 31. A part of the fishing gear 32. A food source for bear, turkeys 35. A species of grouse

1 small ripe avocado coarsely chopped 1/4-cup skim milk 1 tbsp. lime juice 1 clove garlic minced 1 dash hot sauce 2 tbsps. lemon juice 1 tbsp. light soy sauce 1 tsp. lemon rind grated 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 16-ounce bass fillets 1/3-cup fine dry bread crumbs Vegetable cooking spray For sauce, combine the first five ingredients in a blender. Cover and

process until smooth. Set mixture aside. Combine lemon juice and next three ingredients in a shallow dish. Dip fillets in lemon juice mixture and dredge in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for seven minutes; turn fillets over, and bake another seven minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Transfer fillets to a serving platter and top with avocado sauce.

Makes four servings.

— www.bassonhook.com

Venison Lasagna

Brown ground meat in a skillet. Combine browned meat in saucepan with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and spices. Simmer for at least an hour or more. Combine cheese mixture in a mixing bowl and set aside. In lasagna pan or rectangular baking dish, place one layer of lasagna noodles, followed by layer of meat sauce and then a layer of cheese mixture. Repeat at least once, or more, depending on depth of baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

— Samantha Miller

Sauce: 1 lb. ground venison 3 8-ounce cans tomato sauce 1 12-ounce can petite diced tomatoes 2 tbsps. parsley 2 tsps. basil Salt and pepper Dash of garlic powder Cheese mixture: 32 ounces of mozzarella 1/2-cup Parmesan 2 tbsps. parsley 2 tsps. oregano Dash of basil 1 package of lasagna noodles

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

March 11, 2011

Page 19

Sportsmen losing more funds due to legislative budget cuts

By Mark England LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Some buyers of the four conservation license plates sold

by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are wondering if they got what they paid for.

They’re upset the Legislature proposes to allocate half of the money raised from the sale of the license plates — which are pitched to buyers as a way to help support everything from state parks to the conservation of animals ranging from the horned lizard to the white-tailed deer.

“The fact that our purchases aren’t contributing entirely to what we thought they would be contributing is a pretty sorry state of affairs,” said Steve Hudson, who owns a ranch in the Rolling Plains. “I’m disappointed.”

Hudson bought a white-tailed deer license plate. In addition to the yearly registration fee for his vehicle, he pays $40 annually for his personalized license plate — of which $22 goes to TPWD’s wildlife division to pay for such things as surveying the state’s whitetail population. A regular conservation license plate costs $30. Besides deer, the plates benefit largemouth bass,

Black drum Continued From Page 8

shrimp, sea lice and crabs.

“We just finished one contest and the winner caught a 45.5-inch black drum,” he said. “We just started a new one, and the winner will receive a Fenwick fishing rod and Penn reel.”

Farther up the coast, Rockport guide Dan Kelly said his clients have been catching big drum in places he hasn’t caught them in the past.

“The water has warmed up really good down here the past two weeks and we’ve caught a couple of 35- to 38-inch fish recently,” Kelly said.

Kelly also said he’s seen more commercial fishermen with trotlines loading up on black drum.

“I pulled up to a reef we fish a lot and there must have been 20 sets of trotlines all around the reef,” he said. “There’s guys working the backside of St. Charles (Bay) and I was down in Baffin Bay last week and there were eight or 10 lines that we saw.

“I know of three big batches of lines out there right now. I’ve seen more in the past two weeks than in the past two years.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department director of coastal fisheries, Robin Riechers, said the black drum fishery is one of the healthiest in the state, which could be why more trotliners are focusing on them now.

“We’ve seen the abundance (of black drum) staying pretty high,” Riechers said. “Moving forward, that might change. People — both commercial and recreational — have been catching lots of black drum.

“It’s a very healthy fishery.”

Riechers said the number of commercial fisherman along the coast has dwindled in the past 12 years since TPWD initiated a commercial license-buyback program.

“The reality of it is, we have a pretty aggressive buyback program,” he said. “Starting in 1999, there were 540 commercial licenses. Today, there are just over 300 left.”

Riechers said each boat is allowed a maximum of 20 long lines with a maximum length of 600 feet each.

“Recreationally, we would like to turn more people on to this fishery because it is so good,” he said.

the horned lizard and state parks.

For the current biennium, the sale of deer license plates raised a little more than $125,000. That amount may not be huge, but it’s important to TPWD, said Gene McCarty, deputy executive director for administration.

“It’s important as far as allowing us to carry on certain research projects on an annual basis,” McCarty said.

Although revenue from the sale of conservation license plates doesn’t come from state appropriations, the Legislature has the authority to specify how much of the money can be spent. In a year where the state could face a budget shortfall of more than $25 billion, legislators seem determined to keep half the license plate money to help balance the state’s budget.

All told, TPWD offers more than 100 different license plates for sale. Allocations for all have been halved.

The most popular by far is the conservation license plate for the horned lizard. Sales for the current biennium were almost $600,000 — more than twice as much raised by the second-most popular license plate (state parks).

Joey Park owns a plate benefiting the Coastal Conservation

Association, for which he is a lobbyist.

He doesn’t like legislators holding back half the funds raised by license plate sales, but he managed to joke about it.

“I guess now we can say, ‘Buy a license plate and halfway support this organization,’” he said.

Bass angler Bob Aldert, secretary/treasurer of the Lewisville Bass Anglers, owns the conservation license plate for largemouth bass. Revenues from its sale help pay for, among other things, research for Operation World Record — in which TPWD is looking for ways to predict which largemouth have superior growth potential.

Halving license plate appropriations amounts to misleading buyers, he said.

“They tell you one thing, but it never seems to work out that way,” Aldert said. “It upsets me, but I don’t know that anything can be done about it.”

Legislative proponents of the reduced allocations contacted by LSON did not return several phone calls.

McCarty doesn’t think the legislators’ action will result in a decline of future license plate sales.

“In the short run, I think the public will be understanding of the financial problems the state faces,” McCarty said.

“But I can’t say what the public would do if this becomes the policy for the long-term.”

Page 20

March 11, 2011

Bearded hens Continued From Page 1

According to Jason Hardin, TPWD’s lead turkey biologist, nobody is really sure why some hens grow beards.

“Every hen has the potential (to grow a beard),” Hardin said. “Some people believe it’s genetic and some areas seem to have a higher concentration of bearded hens. We see hotspots across the state with higher concentrations.

“The Hill Country is one of those areas.”

Turkey beards on toms and hens are nothing more than modified feathers and tufts of filaments.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with biology,” said Gene Miller, who spent 30 years as a TPWD biologist and now is a National Wild Turkey Federation district biologist for Texas and Oklahoma.

“But it is fairly common in Rios.

“In my 30 years of experience dropping nets and trapping Rios, often times I clearly saw hens with beards falling in that 10 to 20 percent range.”

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Typically, beards on hens are thinner and shorter than they are on toms. A hen’s beard usually will be around four inches long and lighter in color than one on a tom.

Gobblers and hens both have the skin spot on their breast, called a papilla, for growing a beard. Beards wear down and are not a gauge of dominance in males or females.

“They (gobblers and hens) both have the area where it would grow off of, but it could be that there’s some sort of a factor that causes the growth to occur in males instead of females,” said Bret Collier, a research ecologist at Texas A&M. “But it’s never been studied because it doesn’t really matter. Females with beards can still breed, and males without beards can still be successful.”

TPWD has determined the Rio Grande turkey population in Texas is large and stable, and since bearded hens constitute less than 10 percent of the total hen population, allowing the harvest of bearded hens during the 2012 spring season would not have a negative impact on the population.

Spring Turkey Season North Zone (101 counties) April 2-May 15, 2011 * Special Youth Season March 26-27 and May 21-22, 2011 South Zone (54 counties) March 19-May 1, 2011 * Special Youth Season March 12-13 and May 7-8, 2011 1 - Turkey Bag Limit (8 counties) April 1-30, 2011 * No Special Youth Season Consult Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for more information.

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Fire Continued From Page 4

WILDFIRE: The range fire that destroyed 40,000 acres Feb. 27 in Motley County did not reach the nearby town of Matador, and the important buildings at the historic Matador Ranch were also spared. Photo by Texas Forest Service.

been under an active game management program. It’s aimed at developing trophy whitetails and mule deer through supplemental protein feeding and food plots.

Last year, the ranch was given the Outstanding Rangeland Stewardship award from the Texas Section Society for Range Management.

Katie Stavinoha, ranch spokeswoman, explained that parts of the ranch are along the Caprock Escarpment. That geographic feature is dotted with box canyons that held lingering blazes a couple days after the majority of the fire was extinguished.

Cruse said animals could have been trapped in those canyons. The powerful winds, however, pushed the flames to the east, “toward more open country.”

While animals were spared, the flames exposed topsoil to the constant West Texas

winds.

Hazy clouds of dust swirled in the days after the fire, raising hopes for rain to settle the soot and nourish new growth.

Stavinoha said that process was remarkably underway on March 4. She said a few sprigs of greenery started appearing, even though there had been no rain.

She said ranch employees would continue to check for any lost animals.

Meanwhile, Bob Kilmer, ranch manager, thanked everyone who worked to contain the blaze, including the Salvation Army, which provided bottled water to firefighters.

“We are blessed today that many volunteer fire departments, the Texas Forest Service and the Texas Department of Transportation did such an outstanding job,” Kilmer said.

“We owe a great debt of gratitude to the crews who gave of their time.”

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Texas big bites LAKE AUSTIN LUNKER: Billy Weems of Liberty Hill caught this bass from Lake Austin Feb. 25. The fish weighed 13.21 pounds and was 25.75 inches long and had 20.5 inches of girth. Photo by Larry D. Hodge, TPWD.

ANOTHER AUSTIN LUNKER: Cody Smith of New Braunfels also a huge bass from Lake Austin Feb. 26. The fish was 26.5 inches long, 21 inches in girth and weighed 14.28 pounds. Photo by David Campbell, TPWD.

TOP CRAPPIE: Forrest Gothia, 15, of Bridge City shows the record-breaking black crappie he caught Feb. 19 while fishing the Texas side of Toledo Bend Reservoir. The 2.54-pound crappie measured 15.13 inches long.The fish qualified for catch and release junior state record, catch and release all ages water body record, catch and release junior water body record, junior water body record for weight and a Big Fish Award. Photo by TPWD.

CORRECTION: This fish was mistakenly shown as the new state record in the previous issue of LSON. The actual state record, caught

by David Dion, is pictured at the far right. This swordfish was caught off of Port Mansfield

by Capt. Justin Drummond on the boat Pipe Dream in late January.

This fish weighed 151.3 pounds.

STATE RECORD: Friendswood angler David Dion stands next to his recordbreaking swordfish caught Jan. 27 in the Gulf of Mexico.

The fish weighed 341 pounds, breaking the old record by one pound.

can recover.

By May of last year, 50,000 dead fish were counted there — Continued From Page 8 victims of a golden alga bloom.

Recent fish surveys, however, mouth bass, white bass, striped offered good news. bass and crappie.

“Largemouth bass came “It’s slowly working down through the golden alga outthe lake toward the dam area,” break fairly well,” said Robert said Judi Pierce, spokeswoman Mauk, TPWD biologist. for the Brazos River Authority.

He explained that the large“And, of course, we have an mouth bass electrofishing catch KILLER ALGA: Golden alga, which emits a influx of pelicans (eating the toxin fatal to gilled species, has killed 82,418 rate was 53.5 fish per hour, dead fish).” which was slightly up from 49 fish this winter on Lake Granbury. Photo by Pierce said it was unclear per hour in a 2008 survey.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. if the fish kill was harming “Most bass were below the opportunities for anglers on 16-inch legal size limit and the lake. were found throughout the reservoir,” Mauk said.

“It’s nearly impossible for us to measure that “Stocking has not occurred since 2005, so the because we don’t charge for our boat ramps,” she said. smaller bass were all naturally produced despite Golden alga struck hard a year ago on reser- the occasional golden alga problems.” voirs above and below Lake Granbury — Possum Crappie survey numbers were good on Possum Kingdom and Whitney.

Kingdom, and the catch rates for all three catfish Golden alga produces a toxin that coats the species were above the reservoir’s historical avergills of fish and disrupts their ability to breathe, ages, Mauk said. killing them.

White bass also showed promise.

It was first detected in Texas during the mid“Numbers are good, and anglers should enjoy 1980s on the Pecos River, but it was later found in catching them,” Mauk said. “We found them 33 major reservoirs, according to TPWD. throughout the reservoir before they started their Since 2001, the microorganism has been blamed spring spawning run.” for about 130 major fish kills across the state.

A gill-net survey for striped bass, however, was Researchers are trying to find ways to control or disappointing, Mauk said. eliminate golden alga, but no definitive remedies “Their catch rate was the lowest we have seen,” have yet been found. he explained. “Apparently, last year’s golden alga Consequently, an alga bloom has to run its course kill negatively impacted the striped bass populabefore fish populations regain their previous levels, tion more than other surveyed species.” although restocking efforts by TPWD can help.

But, he added, “We did sample two 26-inch Possum Kingdom is an example of how a lake fish, so there are some big ones available.”

Golden alga

March 11, 2011

Page 21

Page 22

March 11, 2011

White bass Continued From Page 8

ing that as the season ticks by, the white bass seem to become less active.

He added that this year has been one of the best for hauling in big sow bass full of eggs — at least in the early part of the season.

“The sows were bigger and heavier this year than any time I can remember,’’ Kroll said, adding as the spawn that started earlier than normal about mid-January winds down, the fish tend to be smaller.

The state minimum for white bass is 10 inches, with a bag limit of 25 fish per day.

This year, many anglers are limiting out on fish 12-15 inches in length and 2-pounders measuring 16 inches or more are not uncommon.

Ray Austin of TopCat Professional Fishing Guide Service, who has visited white bass spawning areas throughout South Texas and the Hill County this season, said bigger baits for smaller fish is generally the rule as the spawn wears on.

“They might be hitting bigger lures because the bait fish are bigger now,” he said. “The fish tend to be more sluggish at

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

around early in the season.”

John Findeisen, a biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Mathis, said female white bass have been coming upstream to spawn on multiple runs — which is rare.

“A lot of fish make several spawning attempts, but white bass require a good water flow to come up and down the river several times,” Findeisen said.

BIG BAIT, SMALL FISH: Harvey Winingham, of Omaha, Neb., used a big Rat-L-Trap “Last year we had to catch this fish March 2 on the Nueces River. It’s a typical tactic used by latea good influx of season white bass anglers. Photo by Ralph Winingham, for LSON. water that raised the lake level and a the end of the spawn — you don’t have as many double or triple hookups when you huge production of forage fish.

“The big difference that we are seeing this are trolling.

“Once you find the fish, you can switch year is that the early catches are of bigger fish from the big crankbaits to jigs in order to and the bigger females seem to be staying pick up a few fish right off the banks, but closer to the reservoir.”

The biologist added that after fishing for you just don’t find the big schools that are

LSONews.com

white bass the past seven years, he has relied on shad-colored crank baits cast in deeper holes along the bank to bring home full stringers.

“A lot of people troll, but I like working the deeper water with crankbaits,” he said.

“The fishing has been so good this year that I took my 6-year-old son out last week and he caught a limit.”

The best guess from guides, biologists and anglers this year is that they can expect good stringers of bass through March, although the fish will probably be slightly smaller in size than during the early part of the spawning runs.

“When they head back to the lakes (after the spawn), the best way to catch them is to use jigging spoons in deep water where they are schooled up,” Austin said. “A lot of anglers don’t like to fish for them in the lakes because they are full of bait and go on a diet — they just don’t bite very well because they are taking it easy after the spawn.”

White bass update ■ According to guides on Richland Chambers, limits of white bass are being caught on points in the main lake.

Tucker wins Continued From Page 8

TOP GAL: Janet Parker, an aspiring pro from Little Elm, finished the tournament in sixth place. Photo by LSON.

Tucker said his strategy was to fish a slow Smithwick Rogue jerkbait in 10 feet of water along rocky points.

He said he sought out the coldest water he could find on the lake.

He won a bass boat, $10,000 and an automatic berth in next year’s Bassmaster Classic.

Casey Scanlon, of Lenexa, Kan., made a charge during the final day with the best single-day catch of the tournament with 19 pounds, 1 ounce. But he came up a few ounces short with a total of 45 pounds, 4 ounces.

In third place was Chris Ford, who added 15-7 Saturday to his total for 35-4.

Fourth place went to Billy Cline of Grapevine, who only caught two keepers during the final day that went 3-15, giving him 33-15 for the tournament. Cline came into the final day of the tournament in second place, trailing Tucker by a little more than three pounds.

Rounding out the top five was Kevin Ledoux of Choctaw, Okla.

Aspiring Elite angler Janet Parker of Little Elm finished in sixth place with a total of 22 pounds, 10 ounces.

Other Texas anglers didn’t fare so well.

“It sucked,” said Lufkin Elite Series pro Clark Reehm, who traveled directly to Lewisville after competing in the Bassmaster Classic on the Louisiana Delta the previous week. “That pretty much summed it up.”

Reehm finished in 37th place with a two-day total of four bass weighing 10 pounds, 2 ounces, well outside of the top 12 who advanced to the final day Saturday.

“Coming from the Classic, it limited my practice time,” he said. “I had one day, and I basically drove the boat around. The lake fished real small today.

“This lake is three weeks away from getting good. The majority of the fish are suspended. Most of (the anglers) are catching random bass. The guys who are catching a lot have a spot.”

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

March 11, 2011

Page 23

ADVERTISMENT

Outdoor Texas Camp Adventures ages 9-16 with a focus on deer hunting techniques, archery, riflery, shotgunning, bow hunting, game calling, survival, blood trailing and GPS navigation.

“With more than 60 species of game, the 777 Ranch is an iconic Texas hunting ranch,” Todd said. “It’s a great environment to learn

If those younger hunters in your life have ever felt the thrill of hearing a big gobbler sound off on the roost, looked wistfully as a flock of ducks whirled overhead or begged to head to the deer camp with you for the weekend, Outdoor Texas’ hunting, fishing and outdoor skills Summer Youth Camps are the place to be this year.

This summer, Outdoor Texas is announcing several new camps at some of the most iconic ranches in Texas, including the 777 Ranch in Hondo, Wilson’s Whitetail Ranch and Lodge and the Perlitz Ranch in South Texas.

Four hunting camp sessions give young Texans plenty of options to choose from when deciding to attend.

New for this year is the Hunting/Archery Camp for boys ages 9-16 from June 12-18 at Wilson’s Whitetail Ranch and Lodge. This camp is dedicated to educating campers in the use of the latest archery equipment, shooting

expertise, game calling, camping, GPS usage, blood trailing and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hunter education certification.

“This camp will have all of the elements of a hunting camp with a heavy emphasis on archery,” said David Todd, camp director.

“There will be instructions on game calling, elevated shooting and a 3-D ‘hunting trail’ that incorporates stalking techniques and shooting through a typical South Texas brush country trail.”

The camp’s goal is designed to make every camper a prepared and safe bow hunter.

The Hunting Camp I and II sessions will be held at the 777 Ranch for boys and girls

about all aspects of hunting.”

The camp dates are June 19-25 and July 24-30.

Deer Camp for boys ages 11-16 at the Perlitz Ranch, July 10-16, covers everything about whitetail hunting.

“This camp is one of our most popular,” Todd said. “We’ve held it at the Perlitz

Ranch for the past three years and this one fills up fast.”

Campers will get in-depth teaching from pros such as Jason Sekula, head wildlife biologist and manager at the Shiner Ranch, about deer hunting, herd management, scoring, field dressing, deer breeding and genetics and hunter education certification.

Finally, the Waterfowl Camp for boys ages 10-16 will be held between July 17-23 at the Haydel Duck Camp located in Cameron Parrish, just south of Lake Charles, La. Taught by world famous duck caller Kelly Haydel, this camp is in the heart of the number one-rated waterfowl hunting area in America.

The focus of the waterfowl camp is on shotgunning, dogs, duck identifiaction and duck calling.

Rody Best, owner of Best Retrievers, near Austin, will facilitate a remarkable experience with his dogs for the campers.

Along with learning from the pros, campers will be taught decoy placement, blind building and marsh fishing.

To learn more about all of the camps, go to www.outdoortexascamp.com or call Todd at (830) 562-3354 or (512) 217-1587.

Page 24

March 11, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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PRO-X PLUS: Spy Point’s 4.5- by 6.8- by 2.8-inch trail camera packs a lot of features in a compact size. Mike Hughs, operations manager for Lone Star Outdoor News tested the 12.0 megapixel trail camera, and he was pleased with the quality of the images it produced. But, what most impressed him was the convenience afforded by the programmable internal unit, which was easily removed by opening the hinged cover.

Mike could then take the internal unit back to camp where he viewed the images without having to remove the entire device from the tree.

Other user-friendly features include infrared LED night-time illumination with automatic adjustment; a multi-shot mode that shoots six pictures per detection; and an adjustable distance detection sensor of up to 50 feet. The trail camera, which will take a memory card of up to 32 GB, costs about $400.

(800) 779-7646 www.spypoint.com

XPS DELUXE AUTOMATIC/MANUAL INFLATABLE FLOTATION VEST: Bass Pro Shops’ newest PDF is an easy-towear vest that inflates automatically when immersed in water or manually at the pull of a handle. Made from 420-denier ripstop nylon with reflective piping, the PDF has a soft neoprene neckline for comfort and air mesh panels for breathability. Additional features include a padded, fleece-lined pocket for sunglasses, a utility pocket for a spare C02 cartridge, and a D-ring attachment. It sells for about $140.

>> THERMACELL UNIT: The newest mosquito-fighting appliance from ThermaCELL is more user-friendly, with a narrower grip, and offers added upgrades to hunters, including a quieter on/off button and a matte finish. The system creates a 15by 15-foot protection zone against mosquitoes and other biting insects. It operates on a single butane cartridge that heats a mat releasing allethrin, a synthetic copy of a naturally occurring insect repellent found in chrysanthemum flowers.

Each mat contains enough repellent for four hours of protection and each butane cartridge will operate the unit for 12 hours. The appliance will be available in Realtree (about $30) and olive (about $24).

(866) 753-3837 www.thermacell.com

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March 11, 2011

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DATEBOOK

Warm weather Continued From Page 8

March 11-13

March 25-27

April 7

Texas State Rifle Association Annual meeting Mesquite (512) 615-4200 www.tsra.com

North Texas Chapter SCI Outdoor Expo Bass Pro Shops, Grapevine www.scinorthtexas.com

Hill Country Quail Coalition Annual Dinner and Auction The Bob Bullock Museum, Austin (512) 757-0892 www.quailcoalition.org

March 26 March 12

LAND CUT ACTION: Anglers hauled in their limits of speckled trout the first weekend of March at the Land Cut south of Baffin Bay. A few redfish, black drum and flounder were also reeled in until Saturday when a front blew into the Laguna Madre. Photo by Chris Kohleffel, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Will Steubing of Boerne hosted a group of friends March 3-5 at his cabin in the land cut.

Night fishing was best under the lights “right off the deck,” he said.

“We didn’t clean up so much on reds,” Steubing said. “We got six total.

But there were just tons of trout.

“Thursday and Friday night were spectacular. We were catching so many keepers, we decided to keep 17 inches and up.”

The bellies of the trout appeared to be full of minnows, so the anglers used spec rigs and any lure that looked like a minnow.

“We pretty much tore it up,” Steubing said. “We even caught a couple flounder with live minnows.”

Bad weather, however, rolled into the area Saturday, and the group didn’t catch a single fish, Steubing said.

But the return of warmer weather likely will reignite the action.

Baffin Bay-area outfitters say anglers are typically limiting out on trout when sunny days make water temperatures rise.

Executive Editor Craig Nyhus Editor Bill Miller Associate Editor Conor Harrison Associate Editor Mark England Graphics Editor Amy Moore Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Operations Manager Mike Hughs Accounting Ginger Hoolan Web site Bruce Soileau

National Advertising Mike Nelson Accounts Manager Classified/Outfitters Blazing Paths Media Advertising Intern Nicholas Conklin Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Contributors Kyle Carter Alan Clemons David Draper Wilbur Lundeen Aaron Reed Erich Schlegel David Sikes Scott Sommerlatte Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or e-mail editor@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

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

Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2011 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 e-mail them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Grand Prairie Ducks Unlimited Dinner Ruthe Jackson Center (214) 957-2449 www.ducks.org

Dallas Woods and Waters Club Dinner and Benefit Auction (214) 570-8700 www.dwwcc.org

R Rice Belt Ducks Unlimited A Annual Fun Shoot M Meek Ranch, El Campo (9 (979) 332-0657 w www.ducks.org

Texas Panhandle Chapter SCI Annual fundraiser Botanical Gardens, Amarillo (806) 683-6353

Texas Gun and Knife Association Show Abilene Civic Center, Abilene (830) 285-0575 www.texasgunandknifeshows.com

Calhoun County Ducks Unlimited Sportman’s Night Out Bauer Community Center, Port Lavaca (361) 237-6803 www.ducks.org

Texas Deer Association 5th Annual Leo Hicks Production Sale San Marcos (800) 392-3819 www.hickswhitetaildeer.com

April 9

Capital Bass Club Meeting VFW Post 8787, Austin www.capitalbassclub.com

Houston Safari Club Appreciation Clay Shoot Camp Karankawa www.bacbsa.org

April 14-17

March 19-20

Lufkin Ducks Unlimited Lufkin Civic Center (936) 212-1304 www.ducks.org

April 7-10 Texas International Boat Show Corpus Christi Downtown Marina (561) 842-8808 www.texasinternationalboatshow.com

Austin Smiles 14th Annual “Shoot for a Smile” Tournament Cypress Valley Preserve (512) 451-9300 www.austinsmiles.org

March 17

Texas Gun and Knife Association Show Amarillo Civic Center (830) 285-0575 www.texasgunandknifeshows.com

April 1-3 March 24 Whitetails Unlimited North Texas Deer Camp The Cotton Mill, McKinney (800) 274-5471 www.whitetailsunlimitedevent.com

Greater Houston Christian Outdoor Fellowship 13th Annual Bass Fishing Tournament Quantum Lakes, Cleveland (281) 788-8435 www.quantumlakes.com

South West International Boat Show South Shore Harbour Marina, League City (561) 842-8808 www.southwestinternationalboatshow.com

April 16 Kimble County Chamber of Commerce Outdoor Women Gone Wild, Junction (325) 446-3190 www.junctiontexas.com

April 27 Central Texas Safari Club Wild Game Gourmet Dinner Austin (512) 773-5674

Waterfowl groups warn of cuts to programs Leaders of the two largest waterfowl conservation groups in the U.S. are taking aim at a proposed federal budget plan that they say will dramatically funding for wetlands.

Proposed budget cuts are cutting across all lines, and programs that benefit wildlife are no exception.

But Delta Waterfowl and Ducks Unlimited officials fear that House Resolution 1 would eliminate conservation programs, such as the North American Wetland Conservation Act grants.

“The proposal, as it currently stands, will effectively take the duck out of the Duck Factory,” said John Devney, senior vice president of Delta Waterfowl.

Devney said in a news release that the grants, currently funded at about $47 million, would be axed by 81 percent for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service land acquisitions in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR).

Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall assailed HR1 in a recent “op-ed” article that he wrote in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Hall wrote that for every federal dollar invested through the grants program, $3 to $4 of non-federal money is secured as matching funds.

“This program alone has protected and conserved more than 25 million acres of essential habitat for migratory birds and also serves hundreds of nongame species,” Hall said.

“The father of modern conservation, Aldo Leopold wrote about the importance of the citizen conservationist nearly a century ago,” Hall said. “Since that time, the cost of conservation has been freely carried on the shoulders of hunters and anglers.”

—Staff report

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March 11, 2011

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LONE STAR MARKET

Puzzle solution from Page 18

To advertise in this section, call Mike Hughs at (214) 361-2276 or e-mail him at mhughs@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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